Mayor plans to purchase additional property
By: Joseph Harvie
The township is going to use about $2 million of a five-year $3 million state Green Acres grant it received in 2003 to reimburse itself for last year’s purchase of the Stanton property, and to help replenish its Open Space Trust Fund.
The grant gives the township $600,000 a year for five years to purchase open space in the township, Mayor Frank Gambatese said.
Mayor Gambatese said the township used $236,000 of the grant in 2003 to purchase property at the corner of Route 522 and Kingston Lane on the municipal complex. He said that the remaining $364,000 will be used to pay for the purchase of Kendall Woods, formerly known as the Stanton property in Kendall Park.
Mayor Gambatese said $1.2 million owed to the township from 2004 and 2005 also would be used, as would $450,000 from the 2006 portion.
The township and Middlesex County purchased the 90-acre tract for $9 million in June 2005. The township paid $2 million from its Open Space Trust Fund and the county paid $7 million from its Open Space Trust Fund. Kendall Woods is located across from Woodlot Park behind the Kendall Park fire and first aid buildings and stretches back to Little Rocky Hill.
The township is going to set up a reserve account and make payments on the bond it issued to cover its share of the Kendall Woods purchase and make payments using the state grant money, Township Chief Financial Officer Joe Monzo said.
Mayor Gambatese said that using the grant money would almost double the amount of cash the township has in its Open Space Trust Fund.
"Basically, instead of having $2.5 million in the trust fund, we’re up to about $4.5 million," Mayor Gambatese said.

