BY TALI ISRAELI
Staff Writer
MARLBORO — The Township Coun-cil’s Right to Farm ordinance will have to be reviewed by the Planning Board before it can be officially adopted by the governing body.
On Feb. 2 the council held the public hearing for the ordinance and unanimously adopted it. However, the ordinance will have to go before the council for a second public hearing and possible vote for adoption on Feb. 16 after it is approved by the Planning Board Feb. 15.
The enactment of a local Right to Farm ordinance is a prerequisite to receiving a state Planning Incentive Grant (PIG) that would help officials preserve farmland in Marlboro.
PIG is a program that allows the development rights of farms to be purchased by the state, county or municipality. By selling the development rights to their land, property owners will be able to maintain ownership of the land until they decide to sell it. At that time, the land can only be sold as a farm and only at the rate that a farm would be assessed at.
Council President Patti Morelli said this process will stop farm owners from selling their property to developers. There are presently three property owners in Marlboro who are interested in selling the development rights to their land under these guidelines, Morelli said.
According to Morelli, the deadline for the grant was Feb. 6; however, the council president requested an extension from the state agricultural board. Although the town was required to put in the application by the deadline, officials will have 60 days to meet the criteria for the grant.
“We should meet all our deadlines,” Morelli said.
The Right to Farm ordinance describes the operations and protections of farmland in Marlboro. It also defines what a farm is in terms of acreage, buffers and revenue.
According to the ordinance, a farm is a parcel of land that is actively devoted to agriculture or horticulture use, including cropland, pasture, idle or fallow land, woodland, wetlands, farm ponds, roads and enclosures related to agricultural pursuits.
In order to qualify as a farm, a parcel of land 5 acres or more must produce no less than $2,500 worth of agriculture or horticulture products annually. A parcel of land less than 5 acres must produce no less than $50,000 worth of agriculture or horticulture products annually to qualify as a farm.
The ordinance states that a farm is a permitted use in all zones in Marlboro.
During the public comment portion of the meeting, farmer Tom Chenal encouraged the council to adopt the Right to Farm ordinance. He said he believes it is a win for Marlboro as well as the farmers.
Councilmen Steve Rosenthal, Jeff Cantor and Joseph Pernice said they all believed the ordinance is a good idea for the township.
“This is something that wasn’t an overnight thing. This took a lot of time and energy,” Pernice said. “This is something [that will] protect our farms, open space and our residents as well.”