Cottrell Farm builder looks to preserve land 'Town center' plan may be scrapped to save farmland BY JESSICA SMITH Staff Writer Old Bridge OLD BRIDGE - A commercial and residential development opposed by some town officials and residents has been thwarted … by the developer himself. The Jerald Development Group, which owns the Cottrell Farm at the corner of Route 516 and Cottrell Road, across from the municipal center, has applied to have the 27.5-acre parcel included in the state Department of Agriculture Farmland Preservation Program. "This is his voluntary request to have the land incorporated [into the program], which came as quite a surprise," Mayor Jim Phillips said. "It is laudable. If this is what he wants, we support it 100 percent." The township granted general development plan (GDP) approval to Jerald in 2003, but the builder had yet to move forward with plans for a "town center" development dubbed the Crossings at Old Bridge. It would have included 141,000 square feet of office and retail space, 131 loft apartments, 98 age-restricted townhouse units and 895 parking spaces. The GDP expires in 2013. A representative of Jerald Development could not be reached for comment on this story. The farm, long owned by Herbert Cottrell Jr. and dating back to the 1770s, consists of an apple orchard, outbuildings and a farmhouse that dates to 1831, when it was built to replace an earlier structure destroyed by a fire. The land, which was once part of a larger property whose parts were sold for development over time, is included on both the township and county lists of historical sites. If the tract is incorporated into the program, it would only be able to be used for farming, Phillips said. The house would remain intact, likely as a residence or museum. No retail or residential development could take place on the land. "As long as I can look out of the window of town hall and see the apple trees and the house, I'm thrilled," Phillips said. In 2005, Phillips began efforts to save the farm from development, with the Township Council approving a resolution in support of preserving it, possibly with Green Acres funding. Middlesex County officials expressed interest in the site as well, according to Phillips. Though the developer's change of heart represents a huge step toward preserving the site, Phillips said there are a number of steps that still must be taken. "It's not the end, it's only a beginning," Phillips said. In a letter dated May 22, the county agricultural board asked for Old Bridge's endorsement of the incorporation of the land into the program. Though township officials are on board, county and state approvals still must be obtained. Funding will have to be secured before the deal is finalized. Before being certified by the state as part of the Farmland Preservation Pro-gram, the land must be designated by the county as a Voluntary Agriculture Development Area by the county Agriculture Development Board. With inclusion in the program comes benefits from the state, county and municipality in return for the landowners' acceptance of restrictions on the land. Typically, Phillips said, the municipality picks up about 10 percent of costs, the county pays about 30 percent, and the state provides the remaining 60 percent. Exact amounts would be subject to appraisals of the property, he said. "If this gets it done, I'm willing to pay our fair share to make that happen," Phillips said. Town officials will continue to seek state Green Acres funding to help offset the costs involved, Phillips said. A second property is also moving toward inclusion in the program at the request of its owner. An 8.5-acre tract at 431 Ticetown Road owned by Helen Birardi is used as farmland, and the family is seeking the designation in order to avoid pressures from developers to sell. Phillips said the two farms being preserved will send the right message to both farmers and developers. Farmers would be able to see that the town supports them, and developers would realize Old Bridge takes a tough stance on granting approvals for building. "If this comes off, this will be over 650 acres that were preserved either as farmland, as parkland, or as open space since I've been mayor," Phillips said. "This is definitely moving Old Bridge in the right direction."