Millstone Twp. poised to preserve 600 acres Town would bond for $12M but would recoup $5.4M BY JANE MEGGITT Staff Writer "It is more than enough money to manage the debt load and service other projects. Our land preservation efforts are our best weapon against stabilizing our tax rates." - Robert Kinsey Deputy Mayor MILLSTONE - Approximately 600 acres of land would be preserved with bond ordinances introduced at the Jan. 16 Township Committee meeting. The governing body unanimously voted to introduce the ordinances,whichwill have a second reading at the committee's Feb. 13 meeting. If the ordinances are approved, the township would be able to preserve the 116- acreWong property on Stagecoach Road, the 166-acre Hom tract on Battleground Road, the 30-acre Peter Nurko farm on Parkside East, the 35-acre Boyken property, also known as FourWinds Farm, on Stagecoach Road, the 49-acre Kenney farm on Stagecoach Road, and the 164-acre Lee farm on Red Valley Road. While the township would bond for $12 million to cover the costs of preservation, DeputyMayor RobertKinsey said that once the township closes on the properties, the StateAgriculturalDevelopment Committee (SADC) would reimburse the township for $4.4 million and the state Green Acres Program would reimburse another million dollars. "We're by no means done at this point." - Nancy Grbelja Mayor Kinsey said residents would be responsible for a debt of $6.5 million, which would be serviced over a long term and would not affect the municipal tax rate. The township has a municipal open space tax that raises $900,000 per year for such acquisitions, according to Kinsey. "It is more than enough money to manage the debt load and service other projects," Kinsey said. "Our land preservation efforts are our best weapon against stabilizing our tax rates." Kinsey said the township expects to close on all of the properties byAugust. Mayor Nancy Grbelja said that the state has additional open space and farmland preservation funds available for at least one year. She said the township would continue to have an aggressive open space and farmland preservation program. "We're by no means done at this point," she said. Grbelja said the town is still looking for properties to preserve either by purchasing the development rights or through outright purchase. She praised thework of the township's Open Space Committee, which has worked for a year and a half on helping the township obtain the current properties under consideration for preservation. She said that it takes that long to process applications and to do all the work necessary to close on the properties. "The residents of Millstone believe open space preservation is important to their quality of life," she said. "It takes the hardwork of theOpen Space Committee and our professionals to reach this point." Grbelja said the township has an excellent financial plan in place to deal with the bonding for the projects. "It will maintain the quality of life in Millstone as we know it," she said.