def #52

def #52 03/30/11

WARETOWN PARCEL RECOMMENDED FOR PRESERVATION

TOMS RIVER - Ocean County is getting ready to preserve a 67-acre tract known as the Honey Hollow property located on Route 532 in Waretown.

"This property is located near the county’s Barnegat Branch Trail and adjacent to the Waretown Lake Municipal Park," said Freeholder John C. Bartlett Jr., who serves as liaison to the county’s open space program. "It was also highlighted in the Trust for Public Land’s Barnegat Bay 2020 plan as a high priority site for preservation."

Bartlett noted that the land contains portions of the Waretown Creek and has several trails providing hiking opportunities for residents and visitors.

"This preservation comes with a number of environmental benefits in addition to some recreational opportunities," Bartlett said. "We are pleased to be adding this to the more than 12,000 acres already preserved under the Ocean County Natural Lands Trust Fund program."

The property is eligible for up to a 50 percent grant from the state Green Acres program and there may be additional opportunities to partner with Ocean Township on this acquisition.

Bartlett said the site is suitable for a major subdivision of nine buildable lots.

"The property is a pristine mix of upland and wetland property that Waretown Creek runs through," Bartlett said. "It was once a working cranberry bog and the grade is relatively flat with a slight pitch back towards the creek. The Trust for Public Lands listed the property as a priority for preservation because of its location to the Waretown Lake and the creek which flows through it."

The Ocean County Natural Lands Trust Fund Advisory Committee has recommended the purchase of the site to the Board of Freeholders. The purchase price is $725,000 and the property is owned by Lacey JJG, FLP-Guido Aceto of Lacey Township.

In addition, the county expects to preserve the .18-acre Tyson property on Pinewald Road, Beachwood. The small parcel is surrounded by a larger 20-acre site the county has previously purchased for preservation.

The cost of the Tyson property is $10,000 and it is owned by Catherine Tyson of Phoenix, Ariz.

Public hearings will be held on both acquisitions during the board’s regular meeting scheduled for 4 p.m., Wednesday, April 6 in Room 119 of the Ocean County Administration Building, 101 Hooper Ave., here.