By Matthew Sockol
Staff Writer
MILLSTONE – A plan submitted by Millstone Township officials to subdivide a lot on Burnt Tavern Road as part of a state program to preserve open space has been reviewed and approved by members of the Planning Board.
On Feb. 8, the board reviewed the township’s plan to subdivide a 53-acre lot at 33 Burnt Tavern Road into a 14-acre lot and a 39-acre lot.
Attorney Duane Davison presented the application on behalf of the Township Committee.
According to Township Engineer Matt Shafai, the 39-acre tract will be used as part of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s Green Acres program, through which open space in the Garden State is preserved.
Township Committeewoman Nancy Grbelja, who sits on the Planning Board, spoke about the value municipal officials believe the 39-acre lot will bring to the township if it can be used for open space purposes.
“(That lot) is a piece of property that is very close to 500 acres that are owned by (the state) Fish and Game (division),” Grbelja said. “We have corridors on some adjacent properties which will allow the free-flow of wildlife from this area to the other properties and into the 500 acres that are designated by Fish and Game.
“We are very excited to be working with Green Acres in order to preserve this property so we can provide open space … to our residents, as well as to wildlife that we look to protect in Millstone,” Grbelja said.
Although variances were required in the township’s application, Township Planner Fred Heyer explained they were not necessary because of the intended purpose of the 39-acre lot.
“Both the frontage and the developable land requirements (on the 39-acre lot) are designed to standards in place to assure that any lot that is developed will be developable in a business subdivision fashion,” Heyer said. “Since this lot is not going to be developed as a business lot, the developable land area standard does not make any sense. It is not necessary.
“The same holds true for the lot width and frontage requirements. The reason for having those is so that you wind up with property that is wide enough to physically do something with. Since the (39-acre) lot is only going to be used for open space purposes, it is not necessary to have the (required) frontage. The designed access is sufficient for the designed use of the property, which will be, for the most part, passive open space,” Heyer said.
Shafai testified that the 14-acre tract that will be created is planned to be used as a location for affordable housing at some point in the future.
Heyer discussed how the 14-acre tract could be suitable for affordable housing.
“The (14-acre) lot is immediately adjacent to property the Monmouth Housing Alliance has developed with affordable housing (and it) could be developed with additional housing,” Heyer said. “There is no physical plan to do any specific number of units or in any specific manner, but the site, given its location and lack of environmental constraints, renders it particularly well-suited to affordable housing.”