BY KAREN E. BOWES
Staff Writer
MIDDLETOWN — Forty acres of waterfront property will be preserved as open space at a cost of $10.435 million, with the township contributing about $3.4 million.
The Township Committee introduced an ordinance on Oct. 4 that will aide in the preservation of the Kathleen Fisher Stern estate.
“The Monmouth Conservation Foundation has been trying to purchase this property for at least 10 years,” said Committeewoman Rosemarie D. Peters. “The owner died not too long ago at a ripe old age and had something like 50 heirs to the property, so it was a very complicated project.”
The township agreed to help preserve the property as part of an agreement struck between the Monmouth Conservation Foundation, the heirs and the state through the Harbor Estuary and Green Acres programs.
Of the $3.3 million the township plans to contribute, the committee estimates that 50 percent will be reimbursed through the Green Acres Program.
“There’s a possibility that they [the county] may repay our portion sometime in the future,” Peters said. “But for the moment, we’re a willing and active participant in preserving the property.”
The scenic area is located near the Locust Avenue Bridge and has frontage on Clay Pit Creek.
“It’s just an exquisite piece of property,” said Peters. “Absolutely beautiful. It would be a pity of we couldn’t save it. It’s really got a lot going for it. We’re thrilled.”
The acquisition includes a 12-room colonial house, guest cottage from the late 1700s, stable, barn and freshwater pond. The land will be maintained by the Monmouth County Parks System, according to Peters, who also heads the township’s Open Space Committee.
“The township has been working closely with Monmouth County and the Monmouth Conservation Foundation for several years to preserve this land,” said Mayor Joan A. Smith. “Residents, including a class of fourth-graders from Navesink Elementary School, had written to the township asking us to preserve it. We are very happy to finally work out an agreement that benefits everyone. It’s an incredible piece of property with scenic views and wooded spots that should and will forever belong to the public.”