T.F. residents get chance to affect open space
Survey will gather data for inclusion in open space plan
BY LINDA DeNICOLA
Staff Writer

TINTON FALLS - Residents of the borough will find an Open Space survey in the newsletter that will arrive at their homes in early September.

Councilwoman Kim Barrett, who is the governing body's liaison to the newly re-established Open Space Committee, told the council that the survey is completed and will be included in the municipal newsletter that will be mailed Sept. 1.

Barrett said the Open Space Committee worked very hard on creating a meaningful survey that will provide a strong indication of the types of open space that residents want in the township.

"We would appreciate it if everyone filled it out," she said, explaining that the questions are multiple choice and the return mail is prepaid.

The survey will ask them for demographics of the household and what kind of open space its members would like to see, she said.

"We're trying to get a read on what the population wants and address some of the needs that haven't been satisfied yet. We're trying to create a balance within the municipality," Barrett said.

She explained that she has become aware that there is a certain faction of the public that feels they are not being served.

"Although the recreation program is phenomenal, some people feel there is a need for passive recreation. That can mean preserving a farm or a field or a picnic area. It can also mean preserving something in its natural state. For me, as a council member, passive recreation is a need that I would like to pursue," she said.

Barrett explained that when the surveys come back, members of the Open Space Committee will analyze the data and include it in their Open Space Plan that will go to the Borough Council for review. "It [the Open Space Plan] has to be adopted by the council," she said.

"We're not hiring a professional, so it may be a timely process," she said. "It will depend on how many responses we get back. We're hoping that everyone will respond in order to get a true read on what the public wants."

Barrett noted the survey is timely because the borough is redoing the master plan.

The new Open Space Committee was re-established last January after an open space tax referendum was approved in November. It raised the open space tax from 1 1/2 cents to 3 cents per $100 of assessed valuation, giving the borough twice the amount that it can collect each year to purchase open space.

Six members, and the council liaison, were picked at that meeting.

Mayor Peter Maclearie said in January that it was time to reinstate the committee since the referendum for an additional open space tax of 1 1/2 cents was passed.

"I first ran seven years ago when the (original penny-and-a-half) open space tax was passed," he said. "We maxed out on all of the money the town had, but with the tax being supported by the town, we started the committee to pick up where we left off. We're hoping to prioritize the properties again."

Barrett was picked as the Borough Council liaison for a one-year term and the mayor announced his choices for the committee, which includes one-, two- and three-year terms.

Herman Silbiger and Guy Buck were picked for the one-year terms, Carol Rippetoe and Dave Rosenthal for the two-year terms, and Claire Shin and James Allen for three-year terms.

The Open Space Committee is charged with recommending which parcels of land should be acquired and which parcels the borough should acquire development rights to only.

Barrett lauded the committee members for their enthusiasm. "They worked very hard on the survey," she said.