UPPER FREEHOLD — The Crosswicks — Doctors Creek Watershed Association (CDCWA) has proposed a trail complex link the newly preserved Breza Road tract to the new middle school and Allentown’s Heritage Park.
The township acquired the 101-acre Breza Road property earlier this year. At the Oct. 2 Township Committee meeting, Mike Renzulli and Marc Covitz, both members of the CDCWA, gave a presentation about the trail proposal.
Renzulli, whose house abuts the Breza Road tract, explained that the state requires the installation of some form of passive recreation on the property as the preservation was partially funded by state Green Acres money. Trails already exist in Heritage Park, and new trails could connect the new middle school site to Allentown, he said. The newly preserved Kulp property in neighboring Robbinsville could also be integrated into a trail network, according to Renzulli.
Renzulli explained that any trails would be constructed in stages over five to ten years. A parking area, or trailhead, would be located on part of the Breza Road property that has not yet been preserved, he said.
In the presentation, Renzulli said that a connection to the middle school would require a bridge structure over a ravine containing an unnamed creek. Later stage trails may include perimeter trails on the school property if the Upper Freehold Board of Education agrees to them.
The total trail complex, when complete, would measure 3.5 miles and would include the 1,970-foot Heritage Park trail, a 4,050-foot loop around the Breza tract, a 1,150-foot Robbinsville portion, a 1,875-foot trail and bridge near the middle school, a 6,800-foot middle school perimeter trail and a 2,500-foot trail along Doctors Creek that would also require a bridge.
According to Renzulli, trails would be constructed as both woodland and field perimeter trails, and would not impact the ability to farm the land currently in agricultural use. Trails would be constructed to maximize buffers with residences, and would provide small parking areas at key connection and termination points, he said. The initial stages of construction have been designed to eliminate the need for bridges, which reduces costs and puts off the lengthy permit process, he said. Tree removal would be minimized, and most trails would follow existing creeks, high on the banks to prevent flooding and washout. Renzulli said that the Americans with Disabilities Act requires the trails to be wheelchair accessible. Covitz said the CDCWA is not planning to pave any of the trails, and may create dual trails in some areas for ADA accessibility.
National Recreational Trail program grants up to $25,000, which require a 20 percent matching grant from the community, are available for the project, he said. Both Upper Freehold and Allentown may be able to apply for the grants, which could garner $62,500 for the project. Renzulli said that a management agreement for the preserved Breza Road acreage has to be
finalized among the state, borough and township, and
representatives must be appointed to interact with the CDCWA. Items cited for beginning the project included a preliminary layout of facilities, a bid process to determine the scope and affordability, and the grant applications, which are due by Dec. 15.
Covitz said that the trail would also connect with the Washington to Walnford trail, which begins in a Robbinsville (formerly Washington Township) park and links green spaces all the way to Monmouth County’s Walnford Park in Upper Freehold. Some of the trails may be accessible to equestrians, he said.
Resident Doug Raynor, who serves as vice chairman of the Planning Board, expressed concerns about liability issues, maintenance funding, and trail distance from nearby houses.