Jennifer Brown/The Star-Ledger

Middlesex county agreed to pursue acquisition of Pulda Farm, in North Brunswick, for open space. Resident David Barnhard has pushed for 10 years to get land the preserved. Deer run through the dry leaves on the wooded edges of the Pulda farm near the back of the property that reaches the banks of the Farrington Lake, which marks the border between East Brunswick and North Brunswick.
More than 400 hundred yards to the west, at the front of the farm on Old Georges Road and Route 130 in North Brunswick, drivers rush past too hurried to noticed the stretch of fields still covered with the remains of corn stalks.

''The most interesting thing about this piece of property is nobody knows it's here,'' said David Barnhard, who has pushed for 10 years to get the 70-acre farm preserved.

Middlesex County freeholders last week took a step toward buying the 70 acres to preserve it as open space, a goal that has eluded three North Brunswick administrations and many township residents.

''We are thrilled to hear the county is interested in pursuing this. It's the right thing to do,'' said Peter Mainone, a member of the citizens group that filed a costly lawsuit over the 2004 re-zoning of the land to allow a high-density, 340 age-restricted adult community to prevent single-family homes that would attract young families requiring costly public services.

Since the mid-1990s, three North Brunswick mayors have tried unsuccessfully to buy the land from the Pulda family. Instead, the owners signed a contract with Edgewood Properties, a company owned by the powerful and politically connected Jack Morris.

Township officials estimate the appraised value at about $12 million, but say Morris wants more.

''We'd like to have it. We can't pay an exorbitant price,'' North Brunswick Mayor Francis (Mac) Womack said.

Womack wrote to the freeholders last year and made a presentation to the county open space committee earlier this year, and the committee recommended the freeholders try to buy it.

North Brunswick already owns some land along Farrington Lake, and East Brunswick and Milltown have property along the opposite bank, said Ralph Albanir, county director of parks and recreation.

''We are trying to make a continuous greenway. We're hoping to connect the dots. It's a very nice piece of land. The property fits in with the open space,'' Albanir said.

The improvement authority will assess the land, making sure there is an accurate appraisal and the tract meets environmental standards for open space, then try negotiating a purchase.

''If the property comes in at an extremely high price beyond what the appraisers are telling us, then it won't be purchased,'' Albanir said.

Barnhard wanted the township to take the property a decade ago.

''Pulda was on the list to be preserved in 1999, said Barnhard, who served on the township open space committee that recommended buying the tract.

He and others wanted the farm used for recreation space, but in 2003, North Brunswick bought the 104-acre Otken family farm off Route 130, paying just under $10 million, and converted it playing fields.

In 2004, the township re-zoned the land, exchanging a single-family designation that would have allowed 70 or 75, to a zone that would allow 340 age-restricted units for resident 55 years old and older.

Angered residents from a group opposed to high-density development filed suit in court in an unsuccessful attempt to overturn the zone change.

Now Barnhard and others want the farm left as it is -- maybe with a few walking trails or a boat launch at the lake.

''It should be preserved as passive open space. Just leave it be,'' said Barnhard. This is a gorgeous place,'' he said.

A call to Doug Wolfson, the lawyer representing Edgewood Properties, was not returned. There was no response to questions submitted to Edgewood Properties on Friday.

The suit also contends that the city's redevelopment designation did not follow a thorough investigation or statutory protocols but was instead based on "assumptions and anecdotal information."

The two sides, through their attorneys, are attempting to resolve the issue before the suit goes to trial in Middlesex County Superior Court early next year.

The parties are said to be close to an agreement. Citing the sensitivity of negotiations, though, attorneys for both sides declined to speak in detail about the discussions.

"There's litigation, and the parties are trying to address the issues," an attorney representing the 19 US Highway 1 corporation, Robert Beckelman, said Thursday. Beckelman, though, added that he believed the discussions were "fruitful."

Robert J. Inglima Jr., who represents the theater company, echoed his counterpart in declining to address details.

But should the parties not arrive at a resolution before early 2008, when the suit is scheduled to be heard, a state Supreme Court decision this year could have some bearing on the outcome.

The court's ruling invalidated municipalities' ability to seize property through eminent domain simply because land was deemed "not fully productive." The court also ruled that authorities must instead meet a strict definition of blight.

While Morris still owns the property he purchased for nearly $15 million in July 2004, the city's action could still be subject to the mid-June ruling. The Planning Board report that led to the redevelopment designation cited "a lack of proper utilization of the area resulting in a stagnant and unproductive condition of the land."

Other than the 18-screen theater, Famous Dave's Barbeque restaurant is the only other business on the tract. Famous Dave's would be relocated to a new building on the property, according to conceptual plans.

Designating the site in need of redevelopment ostensibly gave the city increased control over the project, city officials said.

While the board already has amended the tract's zoning to allow for Raritan Heights' mixed use components, Edgewood still must meet requisite approvals from the city's Planning Board.

Since Raritan Heights would be built in a designated urban enterprise zone, Edgewood — which has built several residential and commercial developments in the city, including the Fulton Square town-house development and the Brunswick Town Center at Jersey Avenue and Handy Street — would be eligible for a tax abatement. But Edgewood has been a good partner as the city moves forward with its redevelopment plans, city spokesman Bill Bray said this week.

"They do what they say they are going to do," Bray said. "Edgewood is swinging hammers in the city as we speak. When you have a developer who performs you want to continue working with that developer. The goal is to get the development project done."

The group's petition is supported by the borough's environmental commission, the Lawrence Brook Watershed Partnership and the Edison Wetlands Association.

In the past, concerned residents have sent letters to the DEP about the designation upgrade and received denials.

Leslie McGeorge, administrator at the DEP, responded to another resident-- Lois Schmidt's-- letter a month ago.

"Upgrades to the anti-degradation designation are accomplished through rulemaking. Lawrence Brook and Mill Pond were not included in May 2007 proposal for Category One designation," the letter stated. "Therefore, these waters can not be upgraded at this time."

But Michael Shakarjan, vice chair of the borough's environmental commission, said those who care about clean water still have hope.

"At this stage, we see improved designation of the waterway as simply a no-brainer, and any other outcome would be just plain irresponsible," Shakarjan said. "Those of us with a drinking water glass in our hand know this makes the most sense."

Nawal Qarooni may be reached at nqarooni@starledger.com or (732) 404-8082.

July 4th, 2006
Don't let the newspapers, local politicians or others fool you. NBRAHDH is still around and fighting.
The Pulda farm is still growing corn. Building would have begun if our case did not have merit. The developer does not want to restore the land to its original state should they lose their lawsuit. Three new trustees are now in place: Khalid Bajwa, Larry Witlen and John Calefato. The case is now progressing. Our primary goal is to preserve this area situated on Farrington Lake as open space for the enjoyment of current residents and generations to come. (click here to link to our objectives.) We need your support. For questions or to receive updates when they happen, please email Larry Witlen (lisawitlen@aol.com), and ask to be placed on our email list.

Why is it that every neighboring town to North Brunswick is constantly adding to their open space inventory. Town after Town are putting up signs proudly showing how they have saved a parcel of land for open space. Every town is working on adding open space EXCEPT North Brunswick. What's wrong with this picture??? Here is yet another example of land being saved: http://nbs.gmnews.com/news/2005/0526/Front
_Page/002.html

Transit village fixed with Pulda Farm
Home News Tribune Online 08/29/06
The Lawrence Brook Watershed Partnership, as stewards of the watershed, are concerned about erosion of local water quality, fragmentation of wildlife habitat, and loss of farms, open space, and quality of life. We endorse the tenets of smart growth and the recommendations for their implementation, as outlined in New Jersey Future's "4 Ways to Genuine Prosperity." As such, our organization supports the adoption of the Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) option to the proposed North Brunswick Transit Village.
The proposal to build a transit village at the current Johnson & Johnson site on Route 1 in North Brunswick has drawn a great deal of positive interest. Benefits potentially include an integrated transportation center within easy walking distance of residences, commercial establishments, plus modern community and municipal services. This great increase in convenience should reduce our dependency upon the personal automobile and could give North Brunswick a world-class "Smart Growth" development that is not only a model for towns in New Jersey but throughout the entire country.
However, one serious concern with establishing a transit village is the large number of residential units such a plan would add in order for it to meet approval by the state Department of Transportation. As proposed, this project would grow the population of North Brunswick to levels exceeding the current build-out figures. Along with these additional residents come the obligatory increased costs to North Brunswick taxpayers for schooling and community services. Net benefits of a transit village would be offset by tax implications and an over-population of the town.
Yet there is a tool available to the town that could save it from overdevelopment and has the added benefit of economically preserving open space and environmentally sensitive areas.
Transfer of Development Rights is an option, recently approved by the state, that allows municipalities to move development from one area to another where it is more desired. For instance, housing credits in "numbers of units" may be transferred from a remote or environmentally sensitive parcel (sending area) to a specially designated area closer to schools, transportation, and community services (receiving area).
Where would development rights be transferred from? Examples in the township include the undeveloped and environmentally sensitive lands near Farrington Lake, such as the Skaritka, Johnkin and Pulda properties. A TDR from the Pulda Farm alone, with its approvals for 325 age-restricted units, would certainly help the transit village proposal win acceptance without significantly adding population burden to the town beyond that which has already been approved.
While there are legal and administrative complexities to successful TDR implementation, assistance from state and nonprofit organizations, as well as grants from the NJ TDR Bank Board, are available. Such a transfer could help protect Farrington Lake's already compromised ecology and save one of the last working farms in the town. If the transit village project includes TDR, it would go from being a microcosm of well-designed development to true smart growth for the entire township.
Mayor Womack has taken interest in the TDR concept. We encourage him to seriously consider its benefits and we offer whatever assistance and support we can provide. Addition of TDR to the current Transit Village proposal would clearly represent a win-win opportunity for residents of North Brunswick and should be aggressively pursued.
Alan S.Godber
President, Board of Trustees
Lawrence Brook Watershed Partnership, Inc. MILLTOWN

The final decision of the Planning Board on the Pulda Farm:
http://nbs.gmnews.com/news/
2005/0505/Front_Page/002.html

It's the evil of men and isn't of God
Home News Tribune Online 08/29/06
In response to the article from Rick Harrison in his column:

God does not let bad things happen. It's the fault of the people — of the people who do not live up to his commandments which God asked us to follow. If people lived according to the commandants there would be no greed, lust, murder, wars, etc., and we would have a Garden of Eden on Earth.
It is not the work of God when bad things happen, it is the corrupt souls and minds of people who choose to live by laws of their own making.
Therefore, Rick Harrison, let your conscience be your guide. God gave us a perfect world but mankind is bent on destroying it. That is where you should place the blame.
Ann Czok
EAST BRUNSWICK