Open Space, Recreation & Historic Preservation Advisory Committee

OPEN SPACE, RECREATION AND HISTORIC PRESERVATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE MINUTES October 10, 2012 NEXT MEETING: November 14, 2012, 7:30 PM, Committee Room at Hartley Dodge Memorial Building. Please notify the Chair if unable to attend. PRESENT: M. Durham, M. Honohan, R. Poeter, Guest: Barbara Heskins Davis, The Land Conservancy of New Jersey OPEN MEETING STATEMENT: Statement read prior to Call to Order MINUTES: Tabled for approval when more Committee members are in attendance in November REPORT REGARDING PRESENTATION TO BOROUGH COUNCIL: Melissa Honohan presented to the Council on September 24, 2012. One purpose of the presentation was to share some historical information about why the Advisory Committee was established and the work it has accomplished over the past several years. The Committee recommended that there be a consistent process for requests of funds from the Open Space Fund and that there also be policies for consideration of those requests in order to continue to leverage the funds and to be good stewards of the resource. The Council requested that the Open Space Advisory Committee return to them with recommendations. DEVELOPMENT OF PROCESS ANDS POLICIES FOR BOROUGH COUNCIL CONSIDERATION: The Chair will draft a document for Advisory Committee consideration prior to presenting it to the Borough Council. It was discussed that it would be helpful to share the draft with Borough work groups who would be most likely to request funds for projects in the future. (HPC, Parks, etc.) The document, once approved can be added as an addendum to the Open Space Plan, which will need to go through the Planning Board. OPEN SPACE PLAN UPDATE: An addendum/update to the Open Space Plan should include the Historic Sites Inventory that is close to being complete. OPEN SPACE ACQUISITION: It appears that there are currently two properties (both with homes currently on the land) on the market that sit next to Summerhill Park between the Park entrance on Ridgedale and the Luke Miller House. These two properties will be visited by members of Open Space and research will be done to determine the property values and what sort of value they may have to the town as possible acquisitions. MORRIS COUNTY TRUST FUND: The deadline for applications for county financial support through the Trust Fund in June 2013. The goal would be to have any applications the Borough wanted to submit to be prepared by April 2013. The Borough of Madison has signed a contract continuing the relationship with The Land Conservancy and those resources would be accessed if there are applications and research that the Borough would like to undertake. MEETING ADJOURNED Respectfully submitted, Melissa Honohan, Chair