Cty. makes Tamarack Hollow purchase official EAST BRUNSWICK - Middlesex County officials have taken the necessary actions to preserve the 232 acres that were previously proposed for the Tamarack Hollow housing development. The county Board of Chosen Freeholders entered into a contract April 19 to purchase the land for the county's open space program. Developer Matzel & Mumford had approval to build 57 single-family homes and a sewage treatment facility on the land, which consists of four separate parcels in the area of Fresh Ponds Road and Church Lane. "This is a significant purchase for our open space preservation program and I'm very excited to make this announcement," Freeholder Director David B. Crabiel said. "Saving these 232 acres from being developed reduces the strain on schools and roads and other infrastructure that would have been felt had the homes been built." The freeholders will spend $13 million from its open space fund to purchase the land, and East Brunswick Township will pitch in $500,000. The agreement provides for East Brunswick to receive a conservation easement on a portion of the land. Closing on the transaction is expected in August. "We are thrilled that the county is saving these acres from development and preserving them," Mayor William Neary said. "I thank the freeholders for their support and their commitment to protecting open lands. We could not have taken on this purchase alone." Matzel & Mumford went through a contentious process to gain approval for the development, starting with Planning Board hearings in 2002 and 2003. The township board voted 7-2 against the development in May 2003, but a Superior Court judge later ruled that the construction be allowed if certain environmental conditions were met.