The Monmouth County Board of Freeholders will acquire a piece of land in Millstone Township and a parcel in Upper Freehold Township to add to existing parks.
According to resolutions recently passed by the freeholders, the Monmouth County Board of Recreation Commissioners has found it necessary to acquire the parcels for county open space preservation, natural resources conservation, and public park and recreation purposes.
In Millstone Township, the land being acquired is known as the Baranowitz property and is an improved parcel of approximately 8.4 acres.
An improved parcel is a piece of land that has houses or structures on it, according to Karen Livingstone, public information officer for the Monmouth County Park System.
The Baranowitz parcel will be added to Perrineville Lake Park. The park is in the Perrineville section of Millstone Township and has lake access on Perrineville Road and Sweetmans Lane between Agress and Millstone roads, according to the park system website. The park is noted for activities such as canoeing, kayaking and fishing.
“The acquisition will preserve the natural resources of the Rocky Brook section of the park and help protect a potable water source, the Millstone River,” Livingstone said.
Perrineville Lake Park contains 897 acres and has two trails, one on Agress Road and another on Baird Road, according to the website.
An offer of $400,000 has been accepted by the owner of the Baranowitz property, according to the resolution. In Upper Freehold Township, the land being acquired is known as the Scully property and is an improved parcel of approximately 1.14 acres.
“The Scully property is an inholding [private property] in Clayton Park, and the price is for the land and a three-unit structure. The three-unit structure increases the value of the property. The park system endeavors to obtain inholding properties in order to extend the park boundary out to a road or a waterway,” Livingstone said.
Clayton Park is on Emley’s Hill Road. The park contains 422 acres and offers activities such as hiking and biking.
An offer of $400,000 has been accepted by the owner of the Scully property, according to the resolution.
The funds for the acquisitions are covered under the county’s Open Space, Recreation, Floodplain Protection, Farmland and Historic Preservation Trust Fund.