The Monmouth County Board of Freeholders will partner with Colts Neck and the state to purchase a development easement on a Colts Neck farm.
During a recent meeting, the freeholders passed a resolution stating their support of and commitment to acquire the development easement on the 26-acre Mosley farm at 164 Laird Road.
The $910,000 cost to acquire the easement which will preclude development from occurring on the farm will be shared by the state, which will pay $546,000 (60 percent); the county, which will pay $218,400 (24 percent); and Colts Neck, which will pay $145,600 (16 percent), according to the resolution.
The freeholders said the Monmouth County Agriculture Development Board has been advising them about the acquisition of the development easement for the purpose of preserving the farm for agricultural purposes.
The Mosley farm is a targeted farm in the Monmouth County Farmland Preservation Plan because of its excellent soils, size and tillable acreage. The property is across from the preserved Crystal Brook Farm, according to the resolution.
The freeholders said funds “granted to the county from the Department of Defense’s Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration program may become available for this project, providing an opportunity to reduce the cost share percentages prior to closing.”
