Town moves forward
on large land purchase
Neary pushes ‘acquisition unlike anything we’ve
ever done before’
By vincent todaro
Staff Writer
EAST BRUNSWICK — Local officials took a step closer to purchasing the 147-acre Heavenly Farms property and will push for monetary assistance in buying the land.
An ordinance introduced at Monday night’s Township Council meeting would allow Township Attorney Michael Baker to enter into negotiations to purchase the property, which is located at Cranbury and Dunhams Corner roads adjacent to the Middlesex County Fairgrounds. Township officials want to maintain the land for recreation and open space.
Two appraisals have established the value of the property at just over $12 million. The ordinance states that Baker is authorized to proceed with a phase 1 environmental study and to "undertake any and all other actions necessary to complete this transaction in accordance with the terms of the contract for sale subject to funds appropriated."
The council had announced at its June 9 meeting its intention to acquire the property. Council President Donald Klemp said the purchase is vital to not only minimize development in the more rural section of East Brunswick but also to provide more space for township activities.
Officials anticipate that about 80 percent of the purchase price will be paid for with contributions from the county and state.
"We’re confident we’ll see most of this paid through those sources," Mayor William Neary said.
Neary, who gave a presentation about the proposed purchase Monday night, said it is "an open space acquisition unlike anything we’ve ever done before."
It would, in fact, rank as the township’s largest purchase of open space, far greater than the Lapinski or Kelemen farm purchases, which collectively total about 65 acres. The Giamarese farm, which also has been preserved, is 35 acres.
Planning Board Attorney Lawrence Sachs said Monday night that he agrees the Heavenly Farms tract would likely be developed if the township did not buy it. He said he has spoken to the owner, Atlantic Realty, which otherwise had plans to develop the land.
Neary said the property used to be zoned to allow modular homes — at one point, almost 550 modular homes could have been built there.
In 1997, the area was rezoned to R-1 residential, limiting the number of homes that could be built to around 110, he said.
The township then adopted the controversial rural preservation zone, allowing one home per 6 acres, for a large section of the township that includes the property in question. Though it is being challenged in court, the new zoning allows just 22 single-family homes to be built there, or up to 40 homes if the developer uses a cluster option included in the zoning ordinance.
Neary said there is no reason to think the property would not be developed.
"We then could not use it no matter how we zoned it," he said, describing the land as 147 acres of "extremely valuable real estate."
Neary also presented several possible uses for the land.
He said it could be used for recreational purposes such as soccer, volleyball, football, lacrosse, basketball and baseball. An indoor training facility has also been suggested.
Also being considered are conservation areas such as nature trails and picnic areas, he said. In addition, officials are constructing a multi-use facility that could include a theater, auditorium, meeting rooms and an amphitheater, he said.
The site could also be used for a community center that many residents have long pined for, he said. The land acquisition would take the land "out of the hands of developers," he said.
The proposal from Neary, a Democrat, has found bipartisan support on the council and with a former GOP official.
Former Republican Councilman Anthony Riccobono said he supports the idea of buying the land and that he has for years.
He said the idea to purchase the property was actually that of a former township employee and goes back about 12 years. However, it lacked support at the time, as a year earlier residents had defeated a referendum to support open space purchases.
The township later established a dedicated open space tax.
"I supported it then, I support it now," Riccobono said of the Heavenly Farms purchase. "It’s something that will be a positive thing for East Brunswick."
Neary said the acreage used to be part of the Smith Farm. A developer then bought the acreage and renamed it Heavenly Farms. The property leads down to the Crystal Springs Aquatic Center on Dunhams Corner Road.
He said the parcel comprises more contiguous land than several of the township’s parks combined.
The deal is far from compete, however, as the owner and the township must still agree on an exact price, and the township must establish outside funding. Neary acknowledged there are "still some hurdles to go."
Still, he was pleased enough with the progress that he paraphrased Joni Mitchell’s song, "Big Yellow Taxi."
"We’ve stopped the parking lot and will protect the paradise of East Brunswick," he said.