County open-space plan calls for five new parks

BY LINDA DeNICOLA
Staff Writer

Recommendations in a draft open space plan for Monmouth County call for five new parks, including one at Fort Monmouth, once it closes, and two in Tinton Falls.

In addition, the draft revision of the county Park, Recreation and Open Space Plan recommends adding to existing parks including Shark River Park in Wall, Neptune and Tinton Falls; Weltz Park in Eatontown and Ocean Township; Wolf Hill Recreation Area in Oceanport; and Seven Presidents Oceanfront Park in Long Branch.

The Monmouth County Park System has preserved more than 13,000 acres of open space, and the ultimate goal is to preserve over 20,000 acres, according to the open space plan.

Last November the Monmouth County Board of Recreation Commissioners authorized the release of the preliminary draft, prepared by the Monmouth County Park System, of the latest open space plan for the county, and three public information meetings were held.

According to Faith Hahn, a supervising planner with the park system, an information session was held on Jan. 31 at the Thompson Park Visitor Center, on Feb. 2 at the Manasquan Reservoir Environmental Center in Howell, and last Saturday at the Charleston Springs Golf Center in Millstone.

“There were more questions than comments,” Hahn said, adding, “Audiences were supportive of preserving more open space.”

Comments collected at the meetings and those received before Feb. 28 will be considered before the final draft is prepared for consideration by the Monmouth County Board of Recreation Commissioners and the county Planning Board.

Once that has taken place, the Planning Board will conduct a public hearing, in the late spring or early summer, before scheduling the open space plan for adoption.

The draft report recommends the acquisition of property at Fort Monmouth subject to the base’s closure.

“We have not had a chance to visit the site and tour facilities, but we are aware of recreation and open space amenities within the fort property and believe that some may be appropriate for inclusion in the county park system for the benefit of county residents,” the draft states.

The two other properties in Tinton Falls are at Jumping Brook and at Shafto Road.

The two sites are rather large; one, at the headwaters of the Jumping Brook, is 345 acres, and the other is a 120-acre site on Shafto Road adjacent to Naval Weapons Station Earle.

“The plan does not include ownership information or provide precise location information,” Hahn said, adding that the county would not be able to proceed without municipal support.

The other two sites are the Marlboro Airport property in Marlboro and the Woodland Farm site in Middletown.

In addition, the preliminary open space plan recommends adding to existing parks like Weltz Park, Wolf Hill Recreation Area, Dorbrook Recreation Area in Colts Neck, a one-mile addition to Seven Presidents Oceanfront Park, and an 860-acre expansion at Shark River Park.

Greenways are also included in the preliminary plan. Among the list of the greenways is the Long Branch Promenade, which will link a highly populated area to Seven Presidents Oceanfront Park, and Wolf Hill Recreation Area in Oceanport.

Inclusion in the county plan does not guarantee the land will be acquired. Many things are factored into the possibility of acquiring the land, including funding, the cost of the land, public support for the acquisition, development approvals and environmental problems.

On the other hand, the plan is not all-inclusive, Hahn said.

Besides recommending possible sites, the draft plan recommends that the county change its method of collecting funds for acquisition of open space. The plan advises increasing the funding for open space preservation while land is still available.

“Rising property values make buying open space harder as more time passes,” Hahn said.

The county collects a set amount of $16 million and establishes a tax rate to raise the funds. The report recommends that the county continue to assess a special tax for county open space acquisition in order to ensure a stable source of funding, but it should convert the county tax from an “amount” to a “rate” so that the purchasing power of the tax can keep pace with escalating property values, the draft reads.

Hahn said that may require a referendum, but they would seek a legal opinion to confirm if that is so.

The report also recommends that the county use a portion of the county tax to finance a bond to accelerate the rate at which county open space can be acquired.

According to the report, the county will formally review the Park, Recreation and Open Space Plan at least once every six years to determine if an amendment to the plan or preparation of a new plan is warranted.

There is still time to e-mail comments to Hahn at fhahn@monmouthcountyparks.com.