Monroe to get nature preserve, hiking trails Builder of 42 homes will donate land near Butcher, Etra roads BY JESSICA SMITH Staff Writer MONROE - Residents will have another place to enjoy the town's natural landscapes. A developer has agreed to donate an 80- acre parcel to the town for use as an environmental preserve. "In this case, two-thirds of this property was preserved. This is a very good thing for the township, and a very good place for our citizens," said John Riggs, township environmental protection manager and Planning Board member. The Planning Board granted final approval to developer Jack Werbler for Rocky Brook Estates, a 42-home community to be built near the corner of Butcher and Etra roads, behind the Renaissance at Monroe adult community. The tract, near Millstone, sits on the border of Middlesex, Monmouth and Mercer counties. Constructing the preserve was a condition of the approval, Riggs said. "The developer was going to have to bring in a lot of soil to develop the site, and we said, 'That's unacceptable,'" Riggs said. Through cluster zoning, the township was able to obtain the land without allowing Werbler to build any more homes than the slated 42, according to Township Council President Gerald Tamburro, who also sits on the Planning Board. He said the agreement works out similarly to an in-kind impact fee. "Obviously, the cluster zoning works to our advantage," Tamburro said. The cluster zoning will require the developer to build the homes on smaller lots, allowing the town to acquire the remaining land. According to Riggs, the developer also gains from such an arrangement, by saving on infrastructure costs. "There's a financial advantage to the developer, and there's a long-term advantage to the township," Riggs said. Over two miles of trails will allow for hiking and jogging, and posted signs will inform passersby about local flora and fauna, Riggs said. Wildflowers and grass will be planted there to enhance the site. A small parking area will accommodate four or five vehicles, and the preserve will have a separate entrance from the housing development, Riggs said. While the township will have ownership of the 80 acres, Werbler will be responsible for building the preserve and paying for the approval process from the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). "A private developer ... has more extreme limitations than a town does in terms of wetlands," Riggs said of the DEP approval process. "There are different standards, because it's a public good situation." Once the preserve is constructed, it will be up to the town to maintain it. Riggs said that once every year and a half, township employees will have to mow half the tract to ensure that grassland areas are maintained as such without the growth of trees. The time frame for construction will likely depend on the developer's ability to obtain necessary approvals. "I anticipate they'll probably start building in spring," Riggs said.