MILLSTONE – Officials in Millstone Township are seeking funding from Monmouth County that, if received, would permit them to purchase land next to an historic structure that dates back to the 1800s.
In August, the Township Committee passed a resolution authorizing the submission of an application to the Monmouth County Municipal Open Space Grant Program seeking $113,000 in county open space trust funds for the second phase of a project at the Clarksburg Methodist Episcopal Church, 512 Stagecoach Road.
According to municipal officials, the purpose of the second phase is to acquire the parcel at 510 Stagecoach Road which borders the church property. Officials said they have not yet determined what uses would take place on the property if it is acquired.
The total cost of the second phase is $225,000, according to the resolution, and the project is intended to have the former church deemed a cultural resource.
The church was established in 1844 and is the second oldest Methodist church building in Monmouth County. The structure is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The building, which no longer functions as a church, was purchased by the township in the late 1990s and has been used as a location for municipal events and programs. Parking for those community events is very limited on the church property and along Stagecoach Road.
Restoration work on the historic building was completed this year after structural issues surfaced and temporarily suspended activities at the site. As previously reported, issues with the former church had been known since 2010.
The township received $250,000 from the county which was used to restore the church during the first phase of the project.
Municipal officials have said they are committed to the project and will provide the balance of funding necessary to complete it, according to the resolution that was passed in August.
In other business, committee members passed a resolution authorizing $120,000 in emergency appropriations for legal services and for the Planning Board.
According to the resolution, no adequate provision was made in the 2017 municipal budget for the services to be covered by the emergency appropriations.
The emergency amount requested for legal services is $95,000 and is attributed to two lawsuits. The emergency amount requested for the Planning Board is $25,000 and is attributed to additional expenses associated with the township’s master plan, according to the resolution.
The emergency appropriations will be provided in full in the 2018 municipal budget, according to the resolution.