For the week of May 25
Preserve farmers
along with the land
To the editor:
This letter is being written in response to the letter of Mr. Schwartz in the May 18 Register-News. Mr. Schwartz, my name is Jim Specca and I am the party to whom you keep referring in your responses to the letters of Roger Lord. For the record, I am not a cohort of Mr. Lord nor is he a running mate of mine. Mr. Lord is simply a Springfield Township resident voicing his opinion about his government.
As per the lawsuit you are trying to get so many miles out of, it is one of my only recourses in preserving my American dream. Recently our Township Council passed several ordinances to "preserve farmland" in our township. While I commend the council for continuing the long-standing effort to preserve our open space I question why they killed the very people who are providing that space for them.
I own an 11-acre parcel that I purchased from my father several years ago. My plans for this property are to continue running my greenhouses and nursery on it and to subdivide two building lots for my children. These two building lots will have the same effect to the township whether they are on my 11 acres or in their new, poorly planned receiving zones. The difference is under the new zoning laws I have to sell my building rights to someone in the receiving zone if anyone is willing to buy them. Then I have to purchase the building lots those building rights just created back from them at about four times the price.
It is a tradition handed down through the generations of farmers to provide their children with building lots to make staying on the farms more attractive. This council has ended that tradition and has chosen to shun our next generation of farmers. If this council and Planning Board had taken the time to study the future of agriculture and agribusiness in our state instead of studying land-grab tactics the results of the recent debates would have been much different. If we are building our community around our farms then we need to build our community around our farmers.
The intent of my suit is simply to insure that I can still provide the two building lots I already own to my children at no additional cost to myself or the township. Perhaps, Mr. Schwartz, this is one of the freedoms you have moved to this great country to enjoy. If you support those whose intent it is to steal the American dream then why did you come to our great country?
Developers are banging on Springfield’s doors just waiting to tear this town apart. If we take away our farmers’ ability to borrow and compete we don’t give them many options. While the 10-acre down-zone does help persuade them into the Farmland Preservation program it severely restricts their ability to bargain. The factual numbers provided to the Specca family by the Farmland Preservation program is that our farm was devalued by 55 percent and that is all they will pay for a total fee-simple buyout.
I understand that you have expressed a desire to purchase open land in this township and I wish you well in your pursuit of the American dream and hope you get your farm some day. I am sure after many years of cultivating the land you will gain a greater appreciation of its true value and will do all you can to preserve it. You will learn that open land is not cheap to preserve or maintain and a greater effort may be required on everyone’s part to keep it.
To a lifelong farmer selling his ground is like selling his children and isn’t done for that quick buck you refer to. A common misconception is that farm ground disappears because builders are paying so much money. The reality is that farm ground disappears because farming pays so little.
Lets preserve Springfield and insure that those providing us with it’s open space survive to plow another day.
James R Specca
Springfield Township
Thanks to volunteers
for planting help
To the editor:
I am most appreciative of the many volunteers who planted trees around town on Arbor Day and who also turned out to plant seedlings in the newly acquired open space on Oliver Street.
During the Arbor Day celebration over 30 volunteers planted 18 trees, which were specifically chosen for their ability to thrive in a city setting, and then on May 6 75 willow oaks and 75 white pine seedlings were planted.
Again this year, Bordentown has been designated a Tree City, USA and this is all due to the hard work of our volunteers. This year’s spring planting did indeed work out well and I look forward to seeing you all again next year.
Tell your friends and neighbors about the pile of free wood chips mulch, too that can be found up at the Gilder Field parking lot. Just go pick it up anytime. Remember, "if it’s for free … it’s for me!"
Al Barker
Chairman,
Shade Tree Commission
Bordentown City
Great turnout for
Springfield Pride
To the editor:
I was glad to see the number of residents who turned out for our annual Pride in Springfield Day on May 13. The prime purpose of the day is to bring attention to the problem of litter on our roads and other illegal dumping that occurs. Last year’s effort collected over two tons of trash and this year’s effort included cleaning 18 different street locations.
The elementary school children participated in a poster contest. Youth groups like the Cub Scouts, Girl Scouts and Saint Andrews Church Teenagers contributed to the effort to clean up their community. Other residents helped out by cleaning up around their homes and their neighborhoods.
This type of community spirit is what continues to make Springfield Township a good place to live and raise a family. I will continue in my efforts to develop further Pride in Springfield and I want to thank those people who found the time to demonstrate that community service means something to them.
I hope to see even more residents and their children come out next year and lend a hand. Littering and dumping are serious problems that the whole community can work on together.
Peter Sobotka
Springfield Township Councilman
Help keep Springfield
a paradise for all
To the editor:
Moving to a small farm in Springfield Township to develop an alpaca breeding program was the best decision my husband and I have ever made.
Our selection criteria were an agriculturally friendly environment, good soil for pasture, and an excellent school system (we don’t have young children but know the real estate values directly reflect the quality of local schools). We were not disappointed. Our diligent selection process has been rewarded beyond our wildest dreams by the decisive efforts of the Springfield Township Council members to reserve farmland.
The Farmland Preservation Program (jointly sponsored by the township, county and state) and our township’s new density transfer zoning program will go a long way to keep Springfield a green oasis in the concrete desert of soon-to-be overdeveloped New Jersey. Most of New Jersey will soon be wall-to-wall houses, shopping areas and industrial "parks."
In a not too distant future, preserved farmland and properties in farm communities will be at an absolute premium. All Springfield homeowners will be richly rewarded financially for the foresight and good planning demonstrated by our present officials who have our quality of life in mind. They have not lost track of long-term value in a search for "quick-fixes" for local taxes.
The election on June 6 is crucial to our community’s continued success. If you want to preserve Springfield Township as Burlington County’s premier "green oasis," then please vote for Denis McDaniel, Peter Sobotka and Dick Toone. They face strong opposition from a group that wants to see Springfield move in the opposite direction and is promoting the false argument that development will lower our taxes. This is wishful thinking and not based on reality. All development, without exception, comes with a hidden price tag attached. Do not be fooled by the patriotic colors of this group’s campaign signs.
A visitor to our small farm once looked around her at the open fields and woods surrounding our property and exclaimed, "You live in a paradise."
For a chance to keep Springfield a paradise for all of us, vote for McDaniel, Sobotka and Toone in the June 6 primary.
Ingrid Wood
Stormwood Alpacas
Jacksonville

