The Monmouth County Board of Freeholders has accepted a $99,605 grant that will be used to examine a property that is expected to be added to a county park.
During a recent meeting, the freeholders passed a resolution accepting the grant from the Hazardous Discharge Site Remediation Fund, Public Entity Program through the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and the New Jersey Economic Development Authority for preliminary assessment, site investigation and remedial investigation of the 327 Greenwood Road property in Marlboro and Aberdeen Township.
The parcel, which is also known as the former Estate of Fariello property, has been acquired by the county for addition to Freneau Woods Park, according to the resolution.
Freneau Woods Park, 360 Monastery Lane, Aberdeen, is located along the headwaters of Matawan Creek and Lake Lefferts, according to the Monmouth County Park System website. The 158-acre park is comprised mostly of woodland and protects critical wildlife habitat and bolsters water quality in the region, according to the website.
The park is historically and environmentally significant, and it provides open space in a densely populated area of the county, according to the website. No restrooms or other facilities are open at this time.
Freneau Woods Park is open for self-directed, passive recreation at the Greenwood Road access in Marlboro. Formal trails will be established throughout the park in the future, according to the website.
The former St. Basil Monastery property is closed except for scheduled park system programs. The monastery buildings will eventually host recreation, art and environmental education programs, according to the website.
The park is named after a poet of the American Revolution, Philip Morin Freneau, whose family once partly owned the property. Known for his inspirational poetry and influential political articles in support of the American Revolution, Freneau played an important role shaping the country’s history, according to the website.
