Middlesex County Adds 26 Acres Of Open Space

MONROE TOWNSHIP, NJ - Middlesex County just added 26.1 acres to its Open Space Preservation program, through the purchase of a large wooded property on Gravel Hill-Spotswood Road in Monroe Township. The property was a joint purchase between Middlesex County and the Township of Monroe. The Board of Chosen Freeholders allocated $400,000 from the County’s Open Space and Recreation and Farmland and Historic Trust Fund. Monroe Township contributed $50,000 toward the purchase.

“With this completed purchase, Middlesex County has now officially preserved over 8,000 acres of open space. This is a great milestone for the program, and we are committed to maintain the balance of development and open space here in Middlesex County," said Middlesex County Freeholder Ronald Rios.

"Like the 106-acre Story Farm we purchased in January, the new land has ties to the Battle of Monmouth. American patriots passed through it on their way to that important Revolutionary War Battle," said Freeholder Deputy Director Charles E. Tomaro, liaison to the County’s Open Space and Recreation Advisory Committee.

“Our partnership with Middlesex County has proven to be a mutually beneficial one, and shored up the success of our Open Space and Farmland Preservation Programs here in Monroe,” said Monroe Mayor Gerald W. Tamburro. “As a result, the Township has been able to preserve thousands of acres, prevent potential development and protect much of the semi-rural landscape of our community. This latest acquisition will bring us one step closer to our goal of preserving 50 percent of Monroe's approximately 43 square miles.”