By Peter Elacqua
Staff Writer
MARLBORO – More than 50 acres of farmland at one of the busiest intersections in Marlboro will be preserved and remain undeveloped under the terms of a purchase agreement that has been completed by municipal officials.
Mayor Jonathan Hornik announced that the Stattel farm at the intersection of Route 520 and Route 79 will remain as preserved open space. The township purchased 56 acres, according to a press release.
“This is an historic moment for Marlboro, a move which charts the course into the future for this community,” Hornik said. “These critical parcels are central to the township’s program to improve its access and circulation plan, and now will forever be protected.”
Under the terms of the agreement, Marlboro acquired a 47.5-acre site on the west side of Route 520 and an 8.5-acre site on the east side of Route 520. In addition, a 30-acre parcel on the northbound side of Route 79 adjacent to an existing shopping center will be protected from further litigation, according to the press release.
Municipal officials have said there is no plan for the use of the properties at this time. Business Administrator Jonathan Capp said the Stattel family will continue to farm the property until July 1.
According to official documents, the acquisition of the land will cost $12 million, with $8.5 million coming from dedicated open space trust funds, $1.65 million in a 50 percent match from New Jersey Green Acres and $1.5 million from the State Agricultural Development Committee.
The acquisition of the land will not impact the municipal budget or local taxes as officials applied land preservation funding that was already authorized and in place, according to the township.
“Since 2008, this administration has been engaged in attempting to preserve this property in the center of town, between the municipal complex, the recreation center and Marlboro High School, the very heart of our community,” Hornik said. “Preserving open space and protecting it forever from development is critical to the quality of life for Marlboro residents.
“As recently as 2014, a developer made an application for over 500 (residential) units to be built on this site. The prospect of hundreds of units of high density housing at this intersection was unacceptable to me, members of the council and the citizens of Marlboro,” he said.
Council Vice President Randi Marder, the liaison to the open space and farmland preservation committees, said, “Having grown up in this town, I take great pride in keeping these parcels green and undeveloped for the benefit of generations to come.”
“It cannot go unmentioned that the township’s farmland and open space preservation committees have been tremendous partners with my administration in aggressively pursuing open space opportunities,” Hornik said.
“Marlboro is so fortunate to have a dedicated group of volunteers, led by Capt. Shital Rajan, who work tirelessly for the benefit of this community.
“And I want to thank the Stattel family for working with the municipality. As members of this community for generations, I applaud their commitment and willingness to preserve their farmland for Marlboro’s future generations,” the mayor said.