Township Committee to Apply for $11.14 Million in Green Acres Grants for Maple Lake, Russell Farms

After hearing support from the public at the township committee's public hearing, the township committee unanimously passed a resolution to pursue over $11 million in Green Acres state grant funds to aid in a partial or full acquisition of Maple Lake and Russell Farms.

"We're looking down the road," Committeeman Christopher DePhillips said of the process. "We need to do this for the future generations of our community, for our children and grandchildren who will hopefully continue to call Wyckoff home."

"This puts us in the position where we can keep all of our options open but we will get the request in by the deadline, and it helps to position Wyckoff in future discussions with the owners of both pieces of property," DePhillips said.

Mayor Rudy Boonstra called the preservation of open space "responsible government," and also stressed the time factor -- the town has until July 30 to submit its application. "We're facing a deadline," he said, and public input was a requirement of the process.

Numerous residents sent the township committee letters recommending that Wyckoff pursue any state money available. And though the meeting was not largely attended, vocal proponents of preserving open space were on hand to offer their thoughts.

Diane Sobin, Friends of Wyckoff member and recently elected Wyckoff school board member, said she strongly favors the town's initiative to acquire both properties, saying the committee should "pursue the last slices of open space" in town, adding that a purchase could be fiscally responsible as well.

George Pitts, a longtime resident and member of the Friends of Wyckoff, agreed that financially, a possible acquistion of the lake and fomer apple orchard could be sound.

"It could really stabilize taxes," he claimed.

With the resolution passed, the town will be formally applying for $11.14 million, which combines the town's assessed value of Maple Lake with the estimated cost of pesticide remediation and the assessed value of the property at Russell Farms.

Township Administrator Bob Shannon said that the DEP's Green Acres Program members suggested the town package both property requests into one application.

"It's to their advantage to put both properties into one application," Lawrence Hanja of the Green Acres Program said in a phone interview. "They'd be eligible for higher grant allotments of a 50% matching because they have an open space tax and an Open Space and Recreation Plan."

Hanja also said this is a fairly common practice and a negative evaluation of one property should not adversely affect the other if the Green Acres body find one more attractive. "There are mechanisms built in (to prevent that problem). ... This actually  grants them more flexibility," he said.

Shannon said that there's no guarantee the application would be granted, as multiple municipalities are competing for funds, and it's not entirely clear how much the town could receive.

"It's not a slam dunk," the township administrator said.

However, he and all members of the committee said there was no reason not to move forward and apply for the funds.

"A lot is at stake here," Committeeman David Connolly said. Mayor Boonstra added, "We'd be foolish not to pursue it."

Maple Lake issues, possible future

Currently, the Canterbury Development Corporation owns the Maple Lake property, and had previously attempted to sell the 26.5 acre parel of land to the town nearly 40 years ago, but the town declined.

Now a wooded area with significant wetlands—and also home to two species on the state's endangered animals list—it had originally been a recreation area, where families swam, picnicked and rode horseback.

In 1993, the Army Corps. of Engineers found the dam in the lake hazardous; it was later breached and the lake drained, though the municipality and residents objected to the action, also claiming they were also not notified by the owners.

The tract is also the natural basin for all water running down from Cedar Hill, and one resident cautioned that too much "impervious surface" brought on from residential development could be a "disaster" to the property.

Committeeman Brian Scanlan agreed with the general assessment, noting that large swaths of the area make it difficult for infrastructure to be supported. In reality, he said, "what's buildable is quite small."

Zoning of the property was changed from high-density affordable housing to market-rate, single-family housing in June, affecting how much property could possibly be built should a negotiation between both parties not materialize.

DePhillips said that were the town to acquire the property, it would likely be preserved as a wetlands, with walking trails a strong possibility.

Although Canterbury representatives say they remain open to negotiations, there appears to be a large gap in price point. The town, per a tax assessment in 2006, had the Maple Lake land tract valued at $7.4 million. Canterbury has said in the past that the property could be worth as much as $20 million on the open market. Attorney John Schepisi, representing Canterbury, said the town's estimation "doesn't necessarily incorporate the full bonafide value" of the property.

DePhillips said even with this grant money, acquiring the property might be too costly.

"Twenty million dollars isn't realistic and $7.4 million isn't either," he told Wyckoff Patch.

To acquire the property, the town would likely also apply for open space county grants as well, just as they had done with Russell Farms.

Schepisi said that his clients have "mixed emotions" on the town's initiative.

On the one hand, they'd like to keep open the possibility of development. On the other, they're pleased that the township is pursuing Green Acres grants.

"Hopefully they'll be able to come up with a fair offer and something can be worked out," the attorney said.

Russell Farms, cleanup cost

Russell Farms, the other property in the application, has also been considered for development by its owners. The former apple orchard, currently owned by CB Realty Investments Inc. (Barrister Farms Construction Co. became the conginent contract purchaser of the property in 2006), had plans for a subdivision, and that is still a possibility.

CB Investments Inc. and Robert Milanese, developer of Barrister Farms, in the past had been seeking $2.7 million from for the full purchase. But additional costs–including those for razing of the structures and cleanup of decades worth of pesticide contamination–have stalled negotiations. The cost of pesticide cleanup could be as much as $1 million alone.

"On Russell Farms, there's an emerging consensus that it would be preserved for very passive purposes, if purchased," DePhillips said. A meadow with walking trails might be a possibility, he said.

By applying for both county money for Russell Farms and state money for both properties, "we're positioning ourselves well for future discussions with both parties," DePhillips said.

"If one doesn't work out for economic issues or environmental concerns, then we have the other we can pursue as well," the committeeman said.

Funds Available

The town currently has $900,000 in its municipal open space tax budget to put toward any potential purchase (and there have been no discussions about any other municipal funds available), in addition to the $1.85 million from the Bergen County open spaces grant, which must be used toward a purchase of Russell Farms.

The town has just received word that the county will be refunding $118,424 dollars collected in open space tax. County Executive Dennis McNerny issued a press release, saying that the open space tax rate from one cent has been lowered to a quarter cent per $100 of assessed valuation.

However, it appears the money may not be placed back into the municipal tax fund. Instead, it will go toward tax relief.