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Edison values, protects open space

Published in the Home News Tribune 4/08/03

Pony-farm annex may be acquired

By JONATHAN TAMARI

STAFF WRITER

EDISON: Township environmentalists created a wish list in 1999.

Calling open space "the issue of the millennium," the Open Space

Advisory Committee listed 43 land tracts they wanted Edison to protect

from development.

Five years later, the township has successfully moved on 28 of those

sites, and, as the Township Council eyes two more tracts, Edison's $7

million open-space trust fund is nearly spent, according to Mayor George

Spadoro.

"It's in our interests to move aggressively," Spadoro said. "(Open

space) is a finite resource . . . it behooves us to acquire this not

only for our current use but for future generations."

The latest example of the mayor's plans will come up for a vote

tomorrow, when the council is expected to authorize the purchase of

about 9 acres of land adjacent to the Dismal Swamp.

The tracts, sometimes called the "pony farm annex," lie across New York

Boulevard from the recently purchased General Pallet Factory and next to

the Triple C Ranch, owned by the Edison Wetlands Association.

Robert Spiegel, the association's director, praised Edison's open-space

program, especially its acquisitions around the swamp.

"We're going to create something that doesn't exist in Central New

Jersey," said Spiegel, who sees the Pallet Factory and annex as sites

where the association could expand its programs. "We've got to give

credit to the administration for moving forward on these acquisitions."

The swamp reaches into Edison, Metuchen and South Plainfield, but

Spiegel said Edison is the only municipality to aggressively purchase

land around it.

The township may have to move forward with one less tool, however.

With the $1.1 million purchase of the General Pallet property in March,

the $2.1 million spent in February for a tract near Meyer Road, and

estimated trust fund expenditures of $300,000 for the annex and $500,000

for a site off Amboy Avenue, the fund is expected to dwindle to $100,000.

The $7 million trust fund was created in 2000, when Edison borrowed

against the anticipated revenue from its open-space tax. The idea was to

get the money in advance and purchase land before it could be developed.

"Two things happen if you don't acquire open space now," Spadoro said.

"Some properties are developed, and others cost more."

With the fund nearly spent, Spadoro said the township can still pursue

open space by applying for grants and using loans.

Edison is eligible for $55 million in low-interest loans, but those are

generally used for sites near water. The township also is applying for

matching grants for recent purchases as a way to put some money back

into the trust fund, said Bob Pye, a Spadoro spokesman.

If funds dry up, Edison could extend the life of its open-space tax,

Spadoro said.

The tax, established at 1 cent per $100 of assessed property value, was

approved in 1998 and given a 15-year lifespan. Keeping the tax for

another 15 years would allow the township to approve bonds for another

$7 million, Spadoro said.

Despite seeing the trust fund drained, Township Council President Barnes

III supports the latest purchase.

"It's one of the few areas left in Edison where there's a large tract of

land that can be used for passive recreation, such as hiking trails," he

said.

If acquired, the targeted tracts along Tyler Road, New York Boulevard

and the Conrail/Lehigh Valley railroad would provide a buffer to the

700-acre swamp and could mean the expansion of the ranch. One site has

an existing house that may have historic value, and the others are vacant.

Spiegel has long sought access to the pallet factory to create a museum

and nature center, and the house on the annex could serve as an access

point for trails through the swamp, he said.

While the Spadoro administration has had discussions with the Edison

Wetlands Association, no final decisions have been made on the land's

future use, the mayor said.