The Loveless and Hvasta tracts officially open space following property closings
By: Lea Kahn
Lawrence Township has now officially added two parcels, totaling 45 acres, to its list of preserved properties following real estate closings on properties owned by Nicholas Loveless and Annie Hvasta.
The township paid $3.4 million for the 43-acre Loveless tract and the adjacent 2-acre Hvasta property, both located on Eggerts Crossing Road, Municipal Manager Richard Krawczun said. The township closed on the Loveless Tract on May 9 and on the Hvasta Tract on May 2.
Lawrence Township is putting up $268,000 from its Open Space Trust Fund, plus $350,000 in a reserve account, for the acquisition of open space. Money in that account was donated by developers. Township Council also approved a $522,000 bond ordinance for the purchase.
The Lawrence Township Conservation Foundation and the Delaware and Raritan (D&R) Greenway also are contributing toward the purchase price. The two groups received $300,000 each from Mercer County in open space grants, Mr. Krawczun said.
The LTCF also expects to receive a $400,000 grant from the state Green Acres Program, the municipal manager said. Lawrence Township also expects to receive a $1.3 million grant from the Green Acres Program, he added.
The acquisition of the Loveless and Hvasta parcels means Lawrence Township has preserved 3,300 acres or 25 percent of the township as open space. This includes county and municipally owned parkland, privately owned open space and land that has been enrolled in the state farmland preservation program.
Mr. Krawczun said township pursued the purchase of the two parcels because of their location next to the township-owned Central Park on Eggerts Crossing Road.
"It’s not often that you can assemble 45 acres of undisturbed land in the older portion of the township," he said. "We can prevent development of the land and at the same time provide passive recreation in this area."
Joyce Copleman, president of the Lawrence Township Conservation Foundation, said the nonprofit group is "always happy" when it can help preserve land for open space.
"It’s the perfect location, next to Central Park," Ms. Copleman said. "It’s nice when landowners are persuaded to leave their wonderful property to the township so future generations can enjoy it."
Most of the preserved land in Lawrence is located in the northern part of the township, including the 186-acre Carson Road Woods property and the 64-acre Shipetaukin Woods property off Carter Road, both of which belong to Lawrence Township.
Mercer County owns the 812-acre Mercer County Park Northwest, which straddles Lawrence and Hopewell townships. The county also purchased a 66-acre parcel on Princeton Pike at Fackler Road, and a 16-acre tract on Cold Soil Road that once belonged to the Doerler family.
The Loveless and Hvasta properties would be added to the handful of parcels preserved in the southern part of the township. Those properties include three small pieces that total 9 acres on Helen Avenue.
Other properties include the 13-acre Shabakunk Woods at the end of Betts Avenue, the 37-acre Drexel Woods property off Drexel Avenue, and 3.5 acres on Johnson Avenue.
Mr. Krawczun said township officials are "always interested" in acquiring land for open space preservation, but they have not identified any additional parcels for acquisition at this time.

