Turkey Swamp Park, Freehold Township, is expected to increase in size by 23.4 acres following action by the Monmouth County Board of Freeholders.
During a meeting on Aug. 20, the freeholders voted to authorize the acquisition of property on Siloam and Hendrickson roads in Freehold Township for additions to Turkey Swamp Park, which is part of the Monmouth County Park System.
According to a resolution, a formal offer of purchase “contingent upon satisfactory title and environmental review … in the amount of $370,000 … has been accepted.”
The funds for the purchase of five vacant lots that total 23.4 acres are covered under the Monmouth County Open Space, Recreation, Floodplain Protection, Farmland and Historic Preservation Trust Fund.
The Monmouth County Board of Recreation Commissioners recommended the purchase of the properties and the freeholders agreed with that recommendation for county open space preservation, natural resources conservation and public park and recreation purposes.
The properties are known as the D’Ambrosi et. al parcels, according to the resolution.
According to the Monmouth County Park System website, Turkey Swamp Park, Freehold Township, is a 2,281-acre wooded park that has a 17-acre lake for fishing, boating and ice skating. The park also features miles of trails, an archery range and playgrounds.
In other business, the freeholders voted to partner with the Monmouth Conservation Foundation, the state and Colts Neck to acquire a farmland preservation easement on a 41.5-acre parcel in Colts Neck.
Freeholder Lillian Burry, of Colts Neck, said the property on which the easement would be acquired is on Route 34 in the northern part of the municipality.
According to a resolution, the easement is being acquired and held by the nonprofit Monmouth Conservation Foundation through the State Grants to Nonprofits program.
A formal offer of the purchase of a development easement in the total amount of $1.6 million has been accepted, contingent upon satisfactory title of the property. The applicants are Robin deGroot, Douglas deGroot, Dana Grobicki and Gretchen Walden.
The total cost of the easement is to be shared as follows: state share, $802,386 (50%); Monmouth County share, $401,193 (25%); Monmouth Conservation Foundation share, $200,596 (12.5%); and Colts Neck share, $200,596 (12.5%), according to the resolution.
Burry thanked the Monmouth Conservation Foundation for partnering with the freeholders on this initiative and said, “I think it’s wonderful they are involved and it is a wonderful thing to preserve this (land).”
The funds for the county’s share of the purchase of the easement are covered under the Open Space and Farmland Preservation Trust Account. The purchase of the easement will preclude development on the property and support agricultural preservation, according to the resolution.
Both actions were supported by Freeholder Director Tom Arnone, Deputy Director Patrick Impreveduto, Freeholder Susan Kiley, Freeholder Gerry Scharfenberger and Burry.
