Published on January 17, 2012

Mayor Janice S. Mironov announced that East Windsor Township has acquired two new open space properties. The newly acquired properties are 40 acres on Etra Road and 7.55 acres on Airport Road.

The 40 acre Etra Road parcel, situated between the New Jersey Turnpike and Cedarville Road, is included in the Township approved Open Space and Recreation Plan and has been on the Township’s open space target list. This site, located at the intersection of Etra Road and Cedarville Road in the Township Rural-Agricultural Zone, is in close proximity to the municipal Etra Park and is adjacent to and in close proximity to numerous other preserved open space and farmland properties. The property is all farmland and located within the County Agricultural Development Area.

The 7.55 acre Airport Road parcel is located adjacent to the new Windsor Cove subdivision at Endeavor Boulevard. This property, donated to the Township by developer Pulte Homes, is wooded and partially impacted by wetlands. The property has a small pervious parking lot area constructed by Windsor Cove developer Pulte Homes for Township use.

According to Mayor Mironov, “preserving these properties as open space will directly contribute to and enhance the attractiveness of our community and the living environment for our residents. Acquisition of these properties represents another excellent step in further expanding open space and potential recreational opportunities.” Mayor Mironov noted, “These acquisitions are a continuation of a major goal of the Township to preserve farmland and open space for the benefit of current and future residents of East Windsor Township”

The total purchase price of $1,100,000 to acquire the 40 acre Etra Road site was underwritten by Green Acres grants, Mercer County open space grants and New Jersey Turnpike Authority funds (provided to mitigate Turnpike open space property takings). No local property taxpayer monies were used in these acquisitions. The 7.55 acre Airport Road property was donated as open space by Pulte Homes.

Mayor Mironov added, “the Township has preserved over 2,600 acres constituting over 25 percent of the Township permanently preserved as open space and farmland. With these most recent grants, the total amount of Green Acres funds approved to date through the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection for the Township and East Windsor Green Space is over $6.35 million, along with approximately $3 million in Mercer County open space grants and over $2 million in developer donations.”