The Monmouth County Board of Freeholders is adding land to the Metedeconk Greenway.
The 457-acre greenway protects water quality and wildlife habitat along the Metedeconk River, a natural border between Monmouth and Ocean counties, according to the Monmouth County Park System.
The greenway helps protect and buffer floodplains from adjacent land use and development. The park system is preserving land along the Metedeconk stream corridor in conjunction with similar efforts in the Ocean County portion of the watershed.
At present, there is no established parking for the site.
During a meeting on Jan. 9, the freeholders authorized the acquisition of a 5.56-acre parcel in Howell for an addition to the Metedeconk Greenway. The parcel, which consists of two lots, is at 160 Church Road and on Friendship Road and is known as the Belknap property.
According to a resolution, a formal offer of purchase in the amount of $330,000 has been accepted. The offer is contingent upon a satisfactory title review and a satisfactory environmental review of the land.
The Monmouth County Board of Recreation Commissioners recommended the purchase of the land for open space preservation, natural resources conservation, and public park and recreation purposes, and the freeholders accepted the board’s recommendation.
The funds for the purchase are covered under the Monmouth County Open Space, Recreation, Floodplain Protection, Farmland and Historic Preservation Trust Fund, according to the resolution.
