Hunterdon Preserves Additional Farm And Open Space Acres

The Hunterdon County Freeholder Board continues to implement its farmland and open space preservation plans with recent actions to close title on a nearly 64-acre farm in Alexandria and approve the preservation of fourteen acres of open space in Readington, while approving participation with the State Agricultural Development Committee (SADC) in the plan to preserve a nearly 174-acre Raritan Township farm.

Freeholder Matt Holt, the Board’s liaison for the Planning and Land Use Department, announced at the July 2nd Board meeting that, “The County, the property owners, the State Agricultural Development Committee (SADC), and Alexandria Township all participated in the June 27th real estate closing for the development easement purchase that preserves the nearly 64-acre Alice Miller Farm, in Alexandria. At the joint closing the County gained ownership of the development rights for the farm.”

The farm was preserved at a total cost of $492,053, with the County’s Open Space Fund and Alexandria Township providing $94,256.93 each and the SADC providing $303,539.25 of the funding.

Holt noted, “With that closing, the County has now preserved 33,720 acres of farmland, through the Farmland Preservation Program. Preserving Hunterdon County’s rural nature, our farmlands, and scenic beauty continues to be a key priority of the Freeholder Board.”

The County Agriculture Development Board (CADB) invites interested landowners to apply for the Fall Round of Farmland Preservation Planning Incentive Grants by October 1, 2019. Potential applicants are encouraged to schedule CADB staff visits ahead of submission.

The Freeholders, at the June 18th meeting, approved a contract for the purchase and preservation of the 15-acre DeLaney property in Readington. The property is directly adjacent to the County’s Round Mountain section of Deer Path Park and has frontage along Foothill Road. The County’s Open Space Fund contributed $250,500 and Readington Township contributed $10,000 toward the preservation costs.

Freeholder Holt said, “The County’s Open Space staff advises that the property is unimproved and entirely wooded. It would provide direct road access to Round Mountain in an area that is close to the County Arboretum, allowing for better access for Parks programs to begin from the Arboretum and walk to Round Mountain.”

During the July 2nd meeting, the Freeholders approved committing to a 20% share from the open space fund, in participation with the SADC, for the potential preservation of nearly 174 acres at the Bowlby Farm in Raritan Township.

Holt stated, “Hunterdon County has now preserved 433 farms, the most in the state. Our long participation with the SADC has been instrumental in the success of farmland preservation in the County. As I have stated before, County open space dollars go further when we have partners in preservation.”