present Monroe
School and township officials will jointly
present Monroe’s plans
BY TARA PETERSEN
Staff Writer
MONROE — Local officials will present their case next week for a proposed land swap with Middlesex County so a new high school can be built in Thompson Park.
The matter is expected to be discussed before the county Board of Chosen Freeholders on Monday and again on Feb. 5, according to Freeholders Director David B. Crabiel.
Crabiel, who broke his leg after slipping on ice last week and was working from home this week, said the public would be able to address their concerns at the Feb. 5 regular meeting of the freeholders, but not at Monday’s agenda meeting.
Monroe’s $83 million plan to build a new high school was approved by voters in a Dec. 9 referendum, but still needs county and state approvals to build in a section of the county-owned park.
If a land swap is approved, the high school will be built on 35 acres in Thompson Park across School House Road from the current Monroe Township High School. The former high school would become a middle school and the Applegarth Middle School would become the district’s fifth elementary school.
Soccer fields are presently located on the desired property, and would be replaced by new fields on Perrineville Road across from the Concordia shopping center under the plan.
Superintendent of Schools Ralph Ferrie said that both school and township officials will appear before the freeholders.
"It will be a joint presentation by the township and the board," Ferrie said.
The board plans to offer a 77-acre wooded tract on the eastern side of the park to the county in the land swap.
Such a move has been met with criticism from an opposition group, Park Savers. Members have charged that the 77 acres is inferior to the 35-acre site, and that the board should not take land preserved under the state Green Acres program.
Officials have argued that the central location is a creative way to save money since the athletic fields from the old school can be used, and since the board would not have to purchase land.
Crabiel said he is not going to discuss whether he supports the land swap until a formal presentation and application is made.
"As director, I would seriously consider a formal application," Crabiel said.
Though this will be the first formal presentation, board officials discussed the swap with the freeholders in June.
Crabiel said at that time that he would only consider supporting the project if the township provides the county with twice the acreage that they would seek from the county, as is proposed in the land swap.
Crabiel said he is familiar with the issue, but has not yet seen the 77-acre property.
"Some of the freeholders are going to go look at the land," he said, noting that his leg injury will prevent him from walking the land at this time.
Crabiel expects that a decision would be made promptly once a formal application is made.
Mayor Richard Pucci said last week that he plans to attend the meetings and that Township Engineer Ernie Feist would likely be one of the presenters.
Pucci said he thinks the freeholders will support the land swap because of the positive responses he has seen in past presentations.
"For whatever group we’ve gone before — once a full presentation is made and the air is cleared, and the environmental [benefits], school [issues] and substantial savings involved are explained — I have not heard anyone do anything but be totally supportive of it," Pucci said.
Pucci also said he understands the concerns of some opponents, but he believes those opposed are relatively few in number.
"I am very confident that things will work out the way we want them to," he added.
If the freeholders approve the swap, the next step would be a formal application to Green Acres.
The Feb. 2 meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. and the Feb. 5 meeting is at 7 p.m. in New Brunswick.