Less homes allowed on section of Stanton property.
By: Joseph Harvie
The Township Council adopted an ordinance Tuesday that will rezone a portion of the 101-acre Stanton property in Kendall Park.
The ordinance changes the zoning of a 16.9-acre piece of the property from R-1 to R-3, permitting more housing on the land. The ordinance was introduced and adopted because of a pending lawsuit filed by the property’s owner, Robert Stanton of New York.
The R-3 zone allows for three houses to be built on 1 acre. The R-1 zone allows for one house per acre.
The 101-acre Stanton tract is located across from Woodlot Park on New Road, behind the Kendall Park Fire and First Aid buildings, and stretches back to Little Rocky Hill. Under current zoning, about 70 houses can be built on the entire property, which sits at the edge of the most densely populated section of South Brunswick.
The portion the township rezoned abuts Wynwood Estates.
Township Attorney Don Sears said Tuesday the ordinance was adopted to help settle pending litigation with Mr. Stanton, which arose when the council rezoned the 16.9-acre section of property in November 2004 from R-3 to R-1.
Mayor Frank Gambatese said the property is being rezoned only because the township and county are negotiating to purchase the entire 100-acre tract. He said if Mr. Stanton ends negotiations the township will rezone the 16-acre parcel back to R-1.
At the Township Council meeting Tuesday, former Mayor Debra Johnson, a Wynwood resident, said that as long as the township does not approve development on the property the residents of Wynwood will stand by the rezoning.
In September 2004, the council rezoned the 16.9-acre parcel from R-1 to R-3 to settle another lawsuit filed by Mr. Stanton.
Mr. Stanton was suing that time because the township changed zoning on the land from R-3 to R-1 in September 2001.
Mr. Stanton said the area around his parcel consists of townhouses, houses built with a cluster option in an R-1 zone and property zoned for higher density planned adult retirement communities.
He had said the surrounding developments and zoning means there is no true R-1 zoning in the area, and that changing it was not consistent with the Master Plan.
The township has been negotiating with Mr. Stanton to buy the 100-plus acres as open space for several years, but has been unable to strike a deal. Mr. Stanton is asking $9.5 million for the property.
Negotiations are now in the hands of the Middlesex County Improvement Authority, which handles all land acquisitions for the county.
On Feb. 22 the Township council adopted a bond ordinance that would set aside $3 million for the purchase of the Stanton property.

