Published in the Asbury Park Press
By JOSEPH SAPIA and JEAN MIKLE
TOMS RIVER BUREAU
DOVER TOWNSHIP -- A $15 million funding bill toward the township's purchase of 700 acres of the Ciba-Geigy tract to preserve as open space was released by a legislative committee yesterday and now faces a possible vote before the full state Senate.
The bill, for state Green Acres funds, is sponsored by Sen. Andrew R. Ciesla, R-Ocean. It cleared the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee yesterday, 5 to 1, with 3 abstentions. An Assembly version, sponsored by Ciesla's fellow 10th District Republicans, Assemblymen James W. Holzapfel and David W. Wolfe, is still in committee.
The legislators' plan is to use 700 forested acres of the approximately 1,350 acres for open space.
But Ciba Specialty Chemicals Corp., the successor to Ciba-Geigy, has made no decision on what to do with the property.
"We've been talking to a lot of people who have been approaching us with their suggestions for what we should with the land," said Donna Jakubowski, a Ciba Specialty Chemicals spokeswoman. "One of the groups is the Trust for Public Land (a nonprofit land-preservation group), but Ciba has made no decision about what to do with the property. A lot of people are talking about something that is very premature."
Of the 1,350-acre site, 200 to 300 acres are likely to have uses deed-restricted by the federal Environmental Protection Agency, federal officials have said. That area includes sections that were contaminated during dye manufacturing operations at the former Ciba-Geigy Corp.
The selling price could vary greatly depending on the property's use or potential use. The entire 1,350 acres -- basically between Route 37, Route 527, the Toms River and the Manchester boundary -- is zoned industrial.
Harvey L. York, the Toms River lawyer representing Ciba, said he does not believe the company would be willing to sell 700 acres for just $15 million.
"I think in the back of everybody's mind there is some of Ciba's property, adjacent to the river, that is a good purchase for the township and the state," York said. "That would make sense. But it's not 700 acres."
Township Committeeman Clarence E. "Bud" Aldrich III has said he suspected the state had discussed a land purchase with Ciba. But he said the township has not appraised the property to determine a purchase price.
"I have no idea if it ($15 million) would be enough or not enough," Aldrich said, who noted Ciesla had been working with the township's Open Space Committee.
"I think any funding to help us in the purchase of open space is a benefit to the town because we have a very aggressive program now," Aldrich said.
Ralph Hahn, an aide to the three 10th District lawmakers, said he did not know if the $15 million would be for all of the 700 acres or part of it. He also did not know why it entailed only 700 acres or the specific location of the 700 acres on the property.
"It's not considered on any polluted site or anything," Hahn said. "I don't know if you would call it pristine property, but it's pretty close."
Hahn said the legislators moved forward on the funding without discussing it with Ciba because the company is no longer using the land for industry.
Aldrich said he did not know the specific location of the 700 acres. But he suspected it was all the land minus the polluted area and a buffer in between.
No vote before the full Senate has been scheduled. The Assembly bill is now before the Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee, but the assemblymen are trying to get it fast-tracked through the Appropriations Committee, Hahn said.
The Senate and Assembly would have to agree to one bill to be sent to acting Gov. DiFrancesco for consideration for signing into law.
Ciba's former dye-manufacturing plant has been on the federal Superfund list since 1982. The plant shut down all manufacturing operations in December 1996.
Published on December 14, 2001
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