Martin tract auction set Oct. 27

Conditions of sale of the 164-acre tract say it is to be used for farming and that no more than one residence may be built on it

By John Tredrea
   One hundred and sixty-four acres of the scenic 251-acre Martin tract, located in east-central section of Hopewell Township, will be offered for sale at an auction set for Oct. 27 at 1 p.m.
   The land is owned by the township.
   "As of yet, no minimum bid has been established," Mayor Vanessa Sandom said Wednesday.
   The 87 acres not offered for sale will be preserved as woodlands.
   The land that will be auctioned off is "offers expansive pastures surrounded by dense wooded areas, rendering the property idea for raising horses or cattle," said the Clinton firm of Max Spann Real Estate and Auction Company. "A large spring-fed pond is central to the pasture."
   The township hired the Spann firm several months ago for the sale of the Martin tract. The auction will take place on the tract itself, which is accessed from Bayberry Road.
   Conditions of sale of the 164-acre tract say it is to be used for farming and that no more than one residence may be built on it.
   Two open house dates have been scheduled to give prospective buyers and others a chance to see the property before the auction takes place. Those dates are Oct. 4, from 4-6 p.m., and Oct. 14 from noon-2 p.m.
   It was in June 2003 that the township passed a $5.4 million bond ordinance to buy the Martin tract. During the next two years, the Township Committee, neighbors of the tract and the township’s Open Space and Agricultural Advisory committees discussed at length and with great intensity what the future of the land should be.
   Emerging from those talks was the consensus that whoever buys the tract would be given a nonbinding resource management plan for it. That plan was developed by the Delaware & Raritan Greenway, a nonprofit that works to preserve land as open space or farmland. The Greenway is involved in the effort to preserve another major tract as farmland and open space — the St. Michael’s property near Hopewell Borough (see separate story this week).
   The resource management plan for the Martin tract, an advisory document for the purchaser, will make recommendations on the property pertaining to such issues as soil, water resources and wildlife habitat.
   The upcoming auction was hailed this week by officials and residents, who said the consensus among the various stakeholders is what is making the sale possible.
   "What we were finally able to do with the Martin tract is a good example of how very complex issues can be resolved when you get the right people involved," township Mayor Sandom said. "By broadening the circle, through seeking help from the D&R Greenway and the National Resource Recovery Service, we were able to bring in a breakthrough approach that is now supported by all parties. The auction will help offset the town’s investment in this property. It took time, but it was worth it to maintain active agriculture while protecting the environment."
   Pat Sziber of the township’s Open Space Advisory Committee said, "It would be good for the public to be aware that this is the culmination of many months of dialogue and debate among the stakeholders. The (township’s) Open Space and Agricultural Advisory committees were poles apart when we started discussion of the eventual fate of the Martin tract and spent many meetings whittling away at our respective expectations. The two committees arrived at a compromise only after D&R Greenway brought the Natural Resource Conservation Service on board."
   Resident Nick Antoun, co-chairman of the Elm Ridge Area Neighborhood Association (ERANA), said, "We are pleased that the Township Committee and the D&R Greenway responded to residents’ concerns about the future of the Martin tract and established an resource management plan that will guide the responsible use of the land. We anticipate an owner of the land that will use it in a manner that is sensitive to the environment and its proximity to the Elm Ridge Park neighborhoods."