Published in the Asbury Park Press
By JEAN MIKLE
700 acres of Ciba-Geigy land cited as pristine
TOMS RIVER BUREAU
TOMS RIVER -- Dover Township Republican candidate Carmine C. Inteso Jr. has called on his Democratic rival to pledge to preserve and protect at least 700 acres of property at the former Ciba-Geigy Corp. site off Route 37.
"One of the major issues facing Dover Township is the rapid disappearance of open space," said Inteso. "That is why I have pledged that I will do everything in my power to preserve and protect the 700-acre tract of pristine land."
Inteso is running against Democrat Richard Larsen in the race for one, three-year committee term. The race is for control of the committee. Republicans hold a 3-to-2 edge.
Ciba owns nearly 1,400 acres of property off Route 37 and Oak Ridge Parkway. Only between 200 and 300 acres of land were ever developed. The rest is vacant land which is zoned for industrial use, and what will become of the property has become an issue here.
The Township Committee recently agreed to ask state officials to study the feasibility of acquiring the untainted portions of the former Ciba site for preservation.
The Pinelands Preservation Alliance and Save Barnegat Bay have both expressed support for the preservation of the land as open space, or for possible recreational use. The nonprofit Trust for Public Lands has expressed interest in acquiring the property.
Inteso has proposed setting a goal of preserving 1,000 acres of open space over the next three years, and said he believes much of it can be purchased using available state funds.
But Larsen said he believes there are other properties in the township that are in more imminent risk of being developed, while the Ciba site is still under the jurisdiction of the federal Environmental Protection Agency, which is supervising an ongoing Superfund cleanup there.
"Land preservation for open space is all about priorities and Mr. Inteso needs to get his in order," Larsen said.
Larsen said he supports preserving land located around the Weiner Homes Tract, located near Church Road and Bay Avenue and the property surrounding the area, which is connected to Silver Bay. He pointed out that the vacant land in that area totals over 1,000 acres.
"If there is state money available to purchase the 700 acres at Ciba--Geigy, then we should transfer that state money to purchase the land around Weiner Homes," Larsen said.
Larsen and Democratic Committeemen John F. Russo Jr. and John M. Furey have repeatedly said they are concerned that purchasing the Ciba property could use up the potential supply of state, county and federal funds available for buying land in Dover. Land that is more likely to be developed, including the area near Weiner Homes, would then be less likely to be preserved.
"It's as simple as this," Larsen said. "We are in favor of preserving property. That is not the question. It is just what property do we preserve," Larsen said. "The Ciba-Geigy tract is not in eminent danger of being developed."
He also said he welcomes Inteso "to the right side of the issue." He said Democrats have been fighting to preserve open space for years, and have only recently been joined by their Republican colleagues.
Published on October 22, 2001
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