Open space costly for municipalities to maintain

[Teegate]

This article pretty much can be viewed as the future for open spaces. Towns will eventually not be able to afford the upkeep and sell them off. Like it or not I believe it will happen.

Guy



Seven years ago, Evesham Township began aggressively buying open space, eventually purchasing about 3,300 acres that cost the taxpayers more than $13 million.

Now the township pays about $400,000 to maintain the parcels of land, including taming the weeds, cutting the grass, and keeping trespassers out of ecologically sensitive areas.


http://www.courierpostonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070812/NEWS01/70812004

 

[Boyd]

Not necessarily...

Many municipal officials say in the future instead of purchasing the property outright, they'll only buy the development rights. That way the land will be kept preserved, but the city or town won't have to pay the costly maintenance fees.

This sets the stage for more deals like we've already seen, where the township pays wealthy landowners not to subdivide their property and the open space remains private. It's better than having another development, but it doesn't provide public access.

Also, if it's really "open space" why are they "taming the weeds and cutting the grass"? That sounds like a park which would obviously require maintenance.

 

[Teegate]

Not necessarily...



This sets the stage for more deals like we've already seen, where the township pays wealthy landowners not to subdivide their property and the open space remains private. It's better than having another development, but it doesn't provide public access.

Also, if it's really "open space" why are they "taming the weeds and cutting the grass"? That sounds like a park which would obviously require maintenance.

Many towns such as Evesham use the open space for ball fields and such. Maintenance for them is high.


Guy

 

[Boyd]

Sure, I understand that. But that's a separate issue from "open space." If they were buying land to build ballfields and parks it should have been obvious from the beginning that there would be maintenance costs... I mean, how clueless is that? Or if they later decided to use the open space for a ballfield then a maintenance budget should have been established at that time.

Maybe I'm just too old fashioned, but I thought "open space" meant space which is not used for any kind of development. A ballfield is a form of development. Let the little league or whoever uses it pay the maintenance costs if the township can't afford it. Or even better, just don't build anything on your "open space."

The taxes have gotten out of control in so many communities and I've gotta believe this is part of the problem. One reason I got out of Burlington County where I was paying $7,000 tax per year on 3 acres compared to $3,000 on 10 acres down here. And guess what?... there's lots of open space down here. I wonder how the town can afford all the "maintenance" on it?....

 

[onehand]

as taxes in nj go higher and higher with no end in sight, there is just no hope for nj, soon it will be just one big city with all of it's problems and no solutions and just double talk for all the politicans taking money in their back pockets from special interests while the law looks the other way 90% of the time

look what happened up towards mansfield twp or there abouts local or county govt purchased property to prevent developers from building on it and paid so called "fair market value" for it not sure of the price 3 million or so and auctioned off for half that, yea "fair market value" i wonder how much the politicans made in their back pockets on that deal from whom they purchased it from screwing the tax payers !

the tax payers should have been in an outrage !! but i guess they are so used to it they don't care any more

 

[woodjin]

I agree with Boyd's understanding of open space. The township really shouldn't have to perform any maintenance if they don't choose to.

 

[bobpbx]

I agree with Boyd's understanding of open space. The township really shouldn't have to perform any maintenance if they don't choose to.

I also agree with Boyd. Sounds to me like there is more to this than meets the eye. Whatever happended to Grass Roots organizations like the FORKED RIVER MOUNTAIN COALITION who clean up the land for free if needed. We own about 75 acres and never try to give it a freaking HAIRCUT!