Photo by Eduardo Pinzon
HOLMDEL – If all goes as planned, one of Monmouth County’s largest and most scenic parks could be expanding its footprint.
According to county officials, the Monmouth County Park System (MCPS) is close to completing a purchase agreement with HMF Associates for the acquisition of 44 acres of land near Route 34 to add to Holmdel Park’s 600-plus acres.
MCPS Land Preservation Supervisor Andrew Coeyman said the land will be purchased with $2.3 million from the county’s open space trust fund.
“Timing is everything when it comes to acquisitions of this magnitude,” Coeyman said. “We were in the right spot at the right time with the right amount of funds available. We were fortunate to have all three work in our favor.”
The 44 acres are located to the south of an additional 71 acres of woods and farmland, including a fishing pond, the county added to Holmdel Park last year, a tract deeded to the park system by HMF.
That gift includes 20 acres that were expected to come to the county by the end of 2018, once subdivision guidelines for a nearby 10-lot development were approved.
However, that subdivision plan did not come to fruition and a purchase opportunity arose for the 44 acres that the MCPS could not pass up.
“When the subdivision fell through, the land was offered to us and we decided it would be better for the residents to have this land preserved as open space, rather than risk it being developed in the future,” Monmouth County Freeholder Lillian G. Burry said.
Burry also noted that a parcel of land located to the west of Route 34 would soon be added to the county’s Farmland Preservation Program, which coordinates land preservation efforts and supports agricultural economic development initiatives.
“It’s going to create a truly beautiful oasis of preserved land that will connect acreage on both sides of Route 34 to Holmdel Park as we know it now,” Burry said.
Coeyman said it was still too early in the process to determine what the uses of the acquired land could be, but added that the creation of a trail system for hiking, running and biking is a possibility.
Burry left all options on the table.
“I would imagine it would remain a passive area, but I’m not certain. There could certainly be active recreation, but I suspect it would be a continuation of Holmdel Park, which is primarily open green space and trails. It will certainly add to an already pristine park, and we can’t ask for more than that,” Burry added.
When HMF, a group of doctors, lawyers and architects, purchased the parcel more than 45 years ago as part of a larger 211-acre tract, the group agreed that 60 percent of the land had to be set aside for open space preservation.
That open space agreement was triggered when in 2016 High Point Development began its construction of 19 luxury estates at Holmdel Fields.
“The land could have stayed with HMF, but the land’s previous owner, August Ventura, wanted it to be preserved by the Monmouth County Park System,” Coeyman said. “We’re very thankful the group stayed true to his wishes.”
Coeyman said the body of water located on the land has been named Ventura Lake, in honor of August Ventura and his effort to ensure at least a portion of the land was preserved.
