Celebrating Kendall Woods preserve

Stanton property gets a new name at dedication ceremony this Saturday.

By: Joseph Harvie
   The township is inviting the public to attend the dedication ceremony of Kendall Woods, formerly known as the Stanton parcel, at 11 a.m. Saturday.
   The township and Middlesex County purchased the 90-acre parcel for $9 million last June, with the township paying $2 million from its Open Space Trust Fund and the county paying $7 million from its Open Space Trust Fund.
   Mayor Frank Gambatese and Middlesex County Freeholder Director David Crabiel are expected to speak at the ceremony and refreshments will be served, Township Public Affairs Coordinator Ron Schmalz said.
   The ceremony will be held at the entrance to the wooded area on Quentin Road, which is off Wheeler Road in Kendall Park. The parcel, which is located across from the Woodlot Park, behind the Kendall Park fire and first aid buildings, stretches from New Road to Little Rocky Hill.
   Mayor Gambatese said Kendall Woods would remain a wooded area and would not be developed into a park, though the public will be allowed to access the park from Quentin Road. He hailed the preservation of the parcel as an important event for the township — especially Kendall Park.
   "The reason why the council and myself and the Open Space Committee had this ranked as number one on our list, was that it was the last piece of land in Kendall Park that was left open," Mayor Gambatese said.
   Mayor Gambatese said that with the acquisition of Kendall Woods there is now a major piece of preserved open space in all of the villages in the township.
   "Each area of our township has benefited from the Open Space taxes we collect," he said. "Since the entire township is responsible for the money we have, I think the Open Space Committee, along with the council and the mayor, have done an outstanding job making open space available in all areas of the township."