Preserve the "Gateway to Holmdel"

A recent article on TapInto brought to light that this evening, the Holmdel Township Committee will vote on a financial arrangement that opens the door for development at Potter’s Farm. The proposed development will be a 105-resident dementia center. Providing people suffering from dementia a home that will appropriately care for them is both an important and noble effort. It’s just as critical for the families of these patients to know their loved ones are appropriately cared for.

That said, it is my opinion that Potter’s Farm – the unofficial “Gateway to Holmdel” – is not the appropriate place for this. And I suspect, given the fact that our Township Committee has surreptitiously moved this up to a mid-August agenda item (breaking procedure by preceding the Zoning Board vote next week), they know many other Holmdel residents agree with me.

For those that aren’t familiar, Potters Farm is located at Exit 114 off the parkway, heading north. For decades, the “gorgeous animals and scenic views” have provided an impeccable first impression of Holmdel for all who enter. It is simply not land that should be developed.

So – the question is: has our township done anything to try and preserve this land? Or is this just another instance in the long line of development projects this Township Committee has initiated and overseen?

Or – perhaps a better question: does our presiding Township Committee have ANY INTEREST in trying to preserve this land?

Have they pursued a way to pay fair market value for the land via additional county and state funds and open space land grants that prevent its development? Have they reached out to our neighbors in Middletown to see if they’d partner on such an effort? Have they engaged in multi-jurisdictional discussions that would facilitate keeping it a working farm, opening the door to a partnership with Brookdale or other local institutions to build an educational curriculum around it? Is eminent domain an option they looked into?

I suspect the answer is, uniformly, ‘no’ – they’ve not worked hard enough to find another path that preserves this land.

Preserving Holmdel’s open space – and by extension the unique culture we’ve come to appreciate here – is paramount. We’ve entrusted our Township Committee with that responsibility, and in this instance, they’re not living up to that mandate. If you agree that Potter’s Farm that should not be developed, I encourage you to attend tonight’s Township Committee meeting and voice your concerns.