Middletown, NJ –  Middletown Township Mayor Tony Perry and Monmouth Conservation Foundation (MCF) President Matt Cohen, representing the county’s only nonprofit land trust, have announced a partnership to create new, permanent green space on a three-acre parcel in North Middletown.

Open Space a Township Priority

“The Township Committee and I will not relent to developers that want to build high-density housing as we continue to fight for open space preservation,” said Mayor Perry. “We have made significant investments in protecting our remaining open space, including designating this natural oasis on Route 36 as a respite for our community in this highly developed and commercial area.”

Located between Route 36 and Thompson Avenue near the iconic Polar Bear Ice Cream stand, the property is a forested parcel that has developed wetland areas due to run-off from the highway. It is densely wooded and would require improvements for public access. MCF and Middletown Township have a shared goal of turning it into a passive park.

Mayor Perry added, “We welcome input from the community on what amenities they would like to see added, such as a nature trail, habitat improvements, or benches, honoring our shared commitment with MCF to save open space and create parks.”

Partnering to Support Community Open Space Needs

Originally zoned for commercial use, the property was privately held and on the market for sale until the owners donated it to MCF in 2020 as a trade land – meaning it was intended specifically to be sold, with the proceeds benefiting the land trust’s charitable conservation work. 

Residents raised concerns about the property being developed once sold. MCF and Middletown came to an agreement, and MCF recently transferred the property to the Township, which will place it on the Township’s Recreation and Open Space Inventory (ROSI). This designation permanently restricts use of the land only as parkland, and MCF and Middletown will together make it into a jointly branded park.

“As a land trust, MCF’s objective is to facilitate how a property will be best preserved and utilized so the public-at-large benefits,” said MCF Executive Director Bill Kastning. “We applaud Mayor Perry’s commitment to open space, and we are proud to work with him and the Township to bring this open space to the community, in line with our efforts to #KeepMonmouthGreen.”

MCF was founded by visionary, lifelong Monmouth County residents, Judith Stanley Coleman and Michael Huber, both of whom hailed from Middletown, and many of MCF’s collaborative preservation projects have taken place in the Township. These projects include acquiring the 99-acre Timolat Farm to expand Huber Woods Park; the 40-acre Fisher-Stern parcel, known today as the Claypit Creek extension of Hartshorne Woods Park; another 17 acres along the Navesink River to further add to Hartshorne’s footprint; and the 18 acres to create Swimming River Park. Most recently, MCF took over ownership of the 90-acre Scudder Preserve and will be working with Middletown to restore the site and improve public access.

About Middletown Township

Middletown Township is fortunate to have 80 parks across town, including one national park, nine county parks, and 70 township parks. This is an impressive total of approximately 6,000 acres.

To help ensure that Middletown could maintain its rustic charm, the Township created the Open Space Trust in 1998 where there would be a dedicated tax levy of one cent per $100 of assessed property value to preserve land. In 2002, voters supported an amendment that changed the rate from one cent to two. In 2020, more than 66 percent of Middletown voters supported the Open Space referendum on the general election ballot. This allowed the Township to amend the dedicated Open Space Trust annual collection rate from two cents to three cents per $100 in equalized valuation. The Township Committee also officially changed the name of the fund to an all-encompassing “Municipal Open Space, Recreation, Floodplain Protection, and Farmland and Historic Preservation Trust Fund” so money could also be allocated to recreational upgrades and preserving historic landmarks.

Continuing to preserve remaining open space, including enhancing parks and restoring historic landmarks, is paramount. Since the Township began the trust, it has proudly acquired and preserved 275 acres of land, with a total investment of over $30,000,000.

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About Monmouth Conservation Foundation

Founded in 1977, Monmouth Conservation Foundation (MCF) works to acquire and preserve open space and farmland and conserve natural habitats throughout Monmouth County in support of outdoor recreation, agriculture, clean water, and wildlife for long-term sustainability. Since 2014, MCF has been accredited by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission and is one of 471 accredited land trusts out of 1,100 land trusts nationwide. Connect with us: Facebook  |   Instagram  |  LinkedIn