Cranbury will try Tuesday to get an exemption that will allow for an extended greenway path on a soon-to-be-preserved piece of farmland.
By:Brian Shappell
Cranbury will try Tuesday to get an exemption that will allow for an extended greenway path on a soon-to-be-preserved piece of farmland.
The plan will be discussed at the county Agricultural Board’s meeting, to be held at 8 p.m. Tuesday at the Old School building. Committeeman Tom Gambino said the meeting will give supporters of the plan a chance to discuss the application and how it can be implemented while protecting the interests of local farmers.
Preserving the greenway could make it difficult for area farmers to use the brook for irrigation, a concern of the agricultural board.
The proposed greenway would provide a park area in the form of a walking-only path, to run along the Cranbury Brook, which forms the southern border of the West Property, Mr. Gambino said.
The path would be an extension of an existing path on the West Property to the southern end of the Barclay Property, which begins at the western edge of the historic village, near the Cranbury School.
The township has requested that the Barclay property be preserved as farmland. Once preserved, the property could be used only as farmland. That’s why the committee requested an exemption to allow for the greenway.
A decision by the agricultural board was postponed at its Nov. 29 meeting because the township did not present enough information on the proposal, said Peter Cantu, agriculture board chairman.
Members of the county board said they are concerned with access to the water and the future financial viability of the farmland, and that township representatives have not proved the surrounding farmland would not suffer negative impacts.
“There are some questions on the impact on agricultural land,” said Mr. Cantu. “There really hasn’t been a comprehensive presentation made. It has not been defined how the exception would be used.”
Mr. Gambino said the greenway would provide an important and valuable amenity to the public while not imposing on the needs of local farmers who rely on water from the brook for irrigation.
The Barclay Property is a recent purchase of the township. The township received preliminary approval from the county board to place it into open space preservation in July, though the request for the exception for the greenway was not made until November.
Mr. Gambino said there has been support from some committee members, though not unanimous, toward the greenway application. He said the committee was expected to discuss the issue Thursday.
“It would provide a walking trail that goes down to the steam,” Mr. Gambino said. “There are some great views of open water. That’s why we feel it’s a nice destination. It’s quiet and scenic.”
He also said there is a wide variety of wildlife in the area, including heron, owls and deer.
“Open space is valuable to us, especially open space near our homes,” Mr. Gambino said. “It provides us a close journey into nature. This property is located within walking distance to a large portion of the population here.”
Township Planner Harvey Moskowitz has said the township also needs to be concerned about litter, land maintenance and safety liabilities.
Then-committeeman Art Hasselbach, whose committee term expired Dec. 31, also said he did not favor the project because of potential maintenance and safety/security enforcement problems.
Township Committeeman Alan Danser, who also is vice chairman of the agricultural board, has recused himself from the discussions because he farms a piece of property adjacent to the area.