Boro: Fieldstone Court tract too small for park
Council will proceed with plans to sell 2-acre parcel
BY LAYLI WHYTE
Staff Writer

EATONTOWN - - A 2-acre parcel at the end of the Fieldstone Court cul-de-sac owned by the borough is not suitable for use as a public park, according to the Parks and Recreation Committee.

Councilman Carl Sohl, liaison to the Parks and Recreation Committee, reported to the Borough Council at its monthly workshop meeting last week that the committee had reviewed the vacant property which some Fieldstone Court residents used as a park.

"They don't believe that money should be put into it as a park," he said about the committee's recommendation.

Sohl and the committee reviewed the property at the urging of Fieldstone Court residents who attended the March 28 council meeting to voice their opposition to Mayor Gerald Tarantolo's proposal to sell the property as a way to offset this year's anticipated 5.8-cent tax rate increase.

The residents, including Jacqueline Arnone and Diane Wellington, said they would rather see the property remain undeveloped, and suggested that the borough could turn it into a public park.

Sohl said at last week's workshop that the committee decided that although the land would not make sense as a park, it would be worthwhile to incorporate a borough-owned easement into any sale contract that would preserve an existing path on the property.

"It's too small of an area to really commit funds to it," Sohl said, "but it would be possible to create access to the old horse trail there."

Borough Attorney Gene Anthony said the property is an irregular shape and that it will take some work to figure out the exact place for an easement that would keep the trail accessible to the public.

Sohl also suggested that the funds from the sale of the property could possibly be used to fund other park programs.

The revenue from sales of borough property, by law, must go directly into the general fund, and cannot be earmarked for specific projects, according to Lewis.

"It might be more controversial," said Anthony, "if we sell the property and not give the money back to the taxpayers by way of property tax relief, but put it into one of our other park properties."

Sohl, along with Councilwoman Joyce Englehart, opposes the proposal to sell the property.

"To me it's no different than selling the Parkway or the Turnpike," he said, "to pay for things that we should have been taking care of all along."

Councilwoman Kristine Fisher said she is in favor of selling the property for the good of all residents of the borough.

"Some people came in and said not to sell it," she said, "but what about the rest of Eatontown?"

Lewis said that it would be possible to place deed restrictions on the property when sold, in addition to the easement, allowing only two single-family homes to be built there.

He said that once it is determined if the property would have to be reassessed and the council knows exactly what the property is worth, the residents of Fieldstone Court will be notified as to the council's intent.