By Linda Seida, Staff Writer
STOCKTON — The Borough Council has tentatively agreed to schedule a public hearing Nov.10 to discuss the proposed management plan for the former My Ben property.
The council postponed a hearing scheduled for last week because the plan still is awaiting a review by the borough’s attorney.
”We had hoped to have that document back so we could have a public meeting on it Monday, Oct. 13, then the council would act on it,” Mayor Stephen Giocondo said. “Most likely this will happen in November.”
Interested persons should confirm with Borough Hall that the item is on the agenda.
The council must decide whether to allow hunting. If it does, then council members also must decide whether to limit hunting to certain types, such as archery.
The plan aims to thin the deer population. There are between 65 and 90 deer per square mile. The proposed goal is to thin the herd to 15 to 25 per square mile.
The plan calls for a 450-foot safety zone for the Stockton Borough School, which is adjacent to the property.
The plan also would allow passive recreation, such as hiking and bird watching.
Over the last several months, the council has heard comments from neighbors, school officials and other interested parties, but they were not part of a formal public hearing. They expressed concern over the safety of students as well as parking issues.
My Ben is now called the Anderson tract after John Anderson, a Revolutionary War captain who once owned the land.
The preserved site consists of 92 acres with 63 in Stockton and the rest in Delaware Township. Delaware Township already has a management plan, including hunting, in place.
Delaware Township’s plan is similar in scope to the plan under consideration in Stockton.
According to Mayor Giocondo, Delaware allows all types of deer hunting and limits other activities to passive recreation such as hiking and bird watching.
The Anderson tract was preserved as open space in 2004 for $3.5 million. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s Green Acres Program partnered with Hunterdon County and the borough to bring the preservation to fruition.

