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| HAQLA Letter to Monmouth County Recreation Commission 2006 Hazlet Area Quality of Life Alliance ***** A community based non-partisan, non-profit corporation ***** “HAQLA” ================================================================= P.O. Box 94, Hazlet, New Jersey 07730 ================================================================ Monmouth County Park System Board of Recreation Commissioners Edward J. Loud, Chairman 805 Newman Springs Road Lincroft, NJ 07738 August 7, 2006 Dear Chairman Loud and Commissioners: On July 17, 2006, on behalf of the Hazlet Area Quality of Life Alliance, we were given the opportunity to present, before the Monmouth County Planning Board, our proposal to have the 26 acre farm in Hazlet, known as “Stone Road Meadows”, purchased and transformed, by the County Park System, into a Monmouth County Visitors Welcoming Center and Park for the Bayshore Area, as I’m sure you are already aware. We would hope to not be redundant in this letter since the County Planning Board will already have provided you with its recommendations regarding “Stone Road Meadows”. If you please, however, we would like to briefly summarize some of the many factors which we perceive to comprise the current disposition as well as the great potential of “Stone Road Meadows”, some of which we may not have had time enough to present during the Planning Board Meeting. Needs: No Area County Parks Dense Population Last Large Open-Space Tract · Matawan, Aberdeen, Keyport, Union Beach and Hazlet are an “underserved section” of the Bayshore regarding County Parks. · It is a High Density Population Area of Monmouth County. · There exists a dire need to Limit Further Development and to Prioritize Preservation of Open-Space. · It is the last farm located and operating in Hazlet Township which was historically a farming community. · It is the largest and last remaining tract of open-space on the Highway 36 corridor in the Monmouth County Bayshore Area. Existing Problems: Local Flooding Dumping of Fill-Dirt Threat of Development/ Zoned for Age-Restricted Housing · There is a history of repeated flooding of the neighborhoods, Highway 36, and Flat Creek, which lie in the immediate area around the farm. · Much of the flooding is a result of attempts to fill-in and build-up the farm property by current and former owners of the farm and by the rampant over-development which has occurred in the area in recent years. · Additional unrestrained and unregulated development of the farm will certainly exacerbate what is already a great burden on the Bayshore Watershed System and on the residents living in the vicinity. · Scarce remnants of what were once habitats for wetland plant and animal species which have survived the persistent onslaught of careless developing over recent years may yet be found, although this would need to be verified by an authoritative inspection of the currently privately owned property. · The 26 acre tract has been identified by the Bayshore Regional Watershed Council to be one of nine endangered sites as the farm drains into Flat Creek which is a tributary of Raritan Bay. Historical: Century Building/s Van Mater Family *Prominent Early Dutch Settlers of Monmouth County had owned this property for generations. · What are believed to be some of the original historical buildings (with an existing Century House) which were once the Van Mater Family Homestead are situated on a 4.59 acre tract at the Northeast corner of Stone Road Meadows but the lot on which the buildings are situated was sub-divided from the subject farming portion of the “Meadows” at some point in time. We are currently conducting an in-depth study of the history of the Van Mater/Stone Road Meadows properties. With the purchase, restoration and preservation of this surviving Historical Homestead, by the Park System, in addition to the “Meadows”, we feel that a Historical Museum to exhibit artifacts from the Communities in this area can be created. Hazlet and Union Beach currently have no museums for showcasing their histories. Local Historians, who have amassed wonderful collections of artifacts, have been waiting for many years for an opportunity to house and exhibit them to the Public. Benefits: Open-Space Recreation · Open Space Preservation strategically located at/near the border confluence of three Communities will provide natural habitat and recreational amenities to a wide, heavily populated area. · It addresses preservation of the environment by providing continued open-space as a much needed watershed repository that will otherwise be destroyed by development. Complimentary Features: Bayshore Regional Strategic Plan NJDOT Plan Located approximately 1000 feet from the Henry Hudson Trail System
Potential Uses: Bayshore Visitors Welcoming Center Local Inter-Community Historical Museum Active and Passive Recreation · A Historical Museum, which could also serve as a Visitors Welcoming Center would provide a wonderful “first impression” and would be conducive to the revitalization of this particular area, which is the strategic “Gateway” to the Bayshore Region. · As a Visitors Welcoming Center and County Park, it would well-serve the entire Bayshore Region by providing informational pamphlets which highlight the special attractions of each of the Bayshore towns , area tourism maps, picnic grounds, a rest area, an inter-community museum, active and passive recreation facilities, preserved natural habitat and cleaner waters in Flat Creek and Raritan Bay. In closing, we wish to note that, although the property is small in comparison to most County Parks, it is extremely large in comparison to the very limited remaining open-space in this section of the Bayshore Area; therefore, the positive impact of an open-space park on the surrounding communities will be great. We wish to take this opportunity to thank the Board of Recreation Commissioners for taking the time, so late in the Open-Space Plan review process, to consider our project proposal. We ask that the Park System, in this case, look beyond the usual criteria required to be met for the approval of new County Parks. We hope that the Park Commissioners will rule favorably on the proposed “Stone Road Meadows” project and we look forward to working together with the Park System in creating a new Monmouth County Visitor’s Welcoming Center and Park in the Hazlet Bayshore Area. Sincerely, John M. Curran III President HAQLA | ||||||||
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