Officials Say That Deal Will Enhance Recreation, Youth Sports, Open Space and Historic Preservation
The Township of Holmdel and the County of Monmouth have entered an administrative land trade deal, according to an announcement by Mayor Tom Critelli.
Holmdel will receive 13.8 acres of land that sits adjacent to Holmdel Park and across Crawford’s Corner Road from the entrance of Holmdel Township High School and the Holmdel Theatre Company in exchange for approximately 115 acres of Cross Farm Park land located to the southwest of Willowbrook Road, abutting Colts Neck Township.
Mayor Critelli said the plot will be redeveloped and preserved for public use and recreational purposes, creating additional open green space in the heart of Holmdel.
“This land transfer is especially appealing because of the impact it will have on our recreational sports community,” said Critelli, who at the Township Committee’s Oct. 9 meeting prompted municipal officials to partner with the Holmdel Youth Athletic Association (HYAA) on a number of cost effective recommendations for field maintenance and facility upgrades.
“The trade speaks to the commitment the Township Committee and I have made to our user groups to improve current sports facilities, and expand our roster of recreational grounds,” Critelli added.
According to Critelli, the acquisition will also provide the Township an opportunity to explore traffic improvements in the area of the intersection of Longstreet Road and Crawfords Corner Road.
Freeholder Deputy Director, Lillian G. Burry, said the County sought this land for the historical structures on site, and how the additional acreage and facilities will bolster the County’s parks and open space program.
“The county’s inventory of preserved land and living history is our greatest legacy,” said Burry, who also serves as the Liaison of the Monmouth County Parks System. “Setting aside these spaces and structures offers our community a link to its historic past, and a permanent foundation for future generations to relish. This land exchange only brightens the future of Monmouth County and the Township of Holmdel, and we’re
thrilled to have conducted it.”
Critelli expressed the governing body’s enthusiasm for cooperative initiatives that are not only beneficial locally, but broad in scope.
“Any time we’re able to partner with County officials for the betterment of our Holmdel community, it’s exciting. But this deal’s value is enhanced by the positive impact it will have in our greater Monmouth County community. Collaborative efforts like this, which benefit so many in and around the Township of Holmdel, are something we’re always willing to explore and work toward,” Critelli added.
