Open space grant to help fund farm purchases

BY LINDA DeNICOLA and SUE MORGAN
Staff Writers

The light post at Franklin Lake, West Long Branch. EATONTOWN — Officials in Eatontown, one of five Monmouth County towns that will receive a $250,000 open space grant, are elated.

“We’re absolutely thrilled that we will be getting the funding and that the freeholders would consider us,” said Michael Trotta, Eatontown business administrator.

The Board of Chosen Freeholders approved the grant award at its Feb. 9 meeting.

Eatontown will apply the funds to the purchase of two former farms, which at a combined 21 acres make up the last quadrant of open space in this otherwise built-out town.

Trotta said borough officials are pleased because the county grant will help pay down a portion of the outstanding debt for the acquisition of the Stella and Capilupi farms. Altogether, the sale price for the two properties, which the borough hopes to convert into parkland, is $2.15 million.

For both purchases, the borough has been awarded $1.075 million, or half of the total price for the two tracts, from the New Jersey Green Acres program, Trotta said.

The $250,000 from the county Freeholder Board will be divided and used toward part of the remaining debt on both of the properties, he continued.

The borough hopes to close on the total $800,000 Capilupi Farm, a 4-acre tract, by mid-March, Trotta said. Green Acres funds of $400,000 will be applied to that sale.

Eatontown took ownership of the 17-acre Stella Farm last year for a total purchase price of $1.35 million, $675,000, or half of which, was picked up by Green Acres, Trotta said.

Besides Eatontown, the maximum amount of $250,000 was awarded to Atlantic Highlands, for the $1.83 million purchase of 5.25 acres adjacent to Many Mind Creek and Sandy Hook Bay; Manalapan, for the purchase of 25 acres adjacent to a municipal sports complex; Neptune City, for improvements to Adams Field Park and Neptune, for playground installation and resurfacing at five parks.

Eight other municipalities will get between $16,000 and $203,000 for open space and recreation projects.

West Long Branch was awarded $93,000 to replace lighting along the Franklin Lake Park walkway. Mayor Janet Tucci said at the Feb. 15 Borough Council meeting that only two of the original gas-lamp-style lights standing along the walkways actually work.

The $93,000 matching grant from the freeholders will help the borough pay for the replacement of those lights, Tucci said.

The borough will seek creative ways to come up with the match and will incorporate that requirement into its forthcoming municipal budget for calendar year 2006, she added.

“We’ll try to figure out a way to match this money, even if it’s through in-kind donations,” she said.

Up to now, some borough residents have been caring for the lamps inside the park off Locust Avenue. As soon as possible, more than 30 lamps altogether, some of which have sustained vandalism, will be replaced, probably with lantern-style lights, Tucci said.

In addition to West Long Branch, Highlands will get $58,000 to replace fencing and make other improvements to Community Center Park and Playground; Marlboro will receive $100,000 for renovations to a 74-acre municipal park; Colts Neck, $16,000 to improve a fitness trail for active adults; Keyport, $42,000 to make upgrades to 2.6-acre Beach Park; Manasquan, $108,000 for improvements to the Coast Guard Station; Middletown, $203,000 to acquire four acres along Comptons Creek and Monmouth Beach, $100,000 for improvements and upgrades to three parks.

Municipalities must sign a grant agreement within six months of being notified of their award, and they must complete the project within two years of executing the agreement. Only then do they receive the open space funds.

That time frame might be of concern in Monmouth Beach, which planned to seek private donations to raise its matching funds, rather than raise taxes for its 3,500 residents.

The borough was awarded $100,000 for renovating Shore Land Park and for upgrading the recreation area in the center of town, but was denied funding for creating a beachside playground. The three projects are expected to cost $368,000 and will begin after Monmouth Beach raises enough funds.

The grants total nearly $2 million from the 2005 Monmouth County Open Space Trust Fund. Land acquisition and development for park recreation and open-space purposes are made possible by the Monmouth County Municipal Open Space Grant Program, a competitive matching-funds program for municipalities sponsored by the Monmouth County Park System.

“Both land acquisition and development for park, recreation and open space purposes are eligible,” said Freeholder Lillian G. Burry, liaison to the county’s park system. “This program enables municipalities to preserve valuable open space and acquire and build park land by sharing the costs. It is a shining example of how the county and municipalities are working together.”

All of the county’s 53 municipalities were eligible to apply for funding awards. Eighteen towns made requests seeking a total of $3.4 million, but since only $2 million was available, five towns did not get grants, Howell and Upper Freehold Township are among them.

According to documents provided by the park system, Howell’s application was denied because of concerns about the intensity of development on the parcel and its impact on natural resources.

An additional problem, according to the park system, was “major inconsistencies between [the] budget and [the] concept plan.”

Upper Freehold had applied for a $250,000 grant to develop the 29-acre Hudler property on Jonathan Holmes and Wygant roads. The $530,000 project included bringing in well water, a septic system and electricity, and constructing a concession building.

The application was denied because Upper Freehold submitted “very preliminary plans” for a significant project, said Faith S. Hahn, the county park system’s supervising planner.

“The feeling was that they needed to do a little more homework on the design before they could receive any funding,” Hahn said.

According to William Heine, director of public information for the county, “Not everyone gets their project approved each year primarily because there is a limitation in funding. With only $2 million available each year, we have to prioritize. There may be several other reasons as well. I know in the past some towns have submitted grant applications that did not meet the criteria or priority, which is open space and land acquisition.”

A source of frustration for the county park system is the drop in the number of open space applications – from 24 in 2003, to 19 in 2004, to 18 in 2005, Faith S. Hahn, the county park system’s supervising planner, said.

She speculated that municipalities simply do not have the time to complete the paperwork. “But we’re here for those who bother,” Hahn said.

Greater Media correspondent Fraidy Reiss contributed to this story