Franklin Township Open Space Advisory Committee
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
7:30 PM
Regular Agenda
- Call to order in accordance with the Sunshine Law provision.
- Introductions/roll call.
- Approval of the July 17, 2007 minutes.
- Financial Report.
- 1st opening of the meeting to the public.
- Consultant’s Report.
- Old Business.
- Historic grant for 2007
- Review of NJAS Facilitated Experiences on Township Open Space—see attached.
- Other?
- New Business.
- Civil Solutions contract renewal
- NJ Audubon Society contract renewal
- Equestrian trail on Memorial Forest
- Other?
- 2nd opening of the meeting to the public.
- Executive session to discuss negotiations & status of property purchases (if needed).
- Adjournment.
Agenda Item 6
LOOS CONSULTING
Land Preservation & Management
John Loos
39 Fisher Drive
Franklin Park, NJ 08823
732. 422.4326
Saveland@Jloos.com
To: OSAC
From: John Loos Consulting
Date: September 2007
RE: Land Preservation Consultant’s Monthly Report
Since the last OSAC meeting on July 17, 2007, I worked on the following projects.
- Worked on the following land preservation projects: Lemantovich (closing issues), Suydam (survey & subdivision issues), Chrin (appraisals, contract negotiation, contract preparation), Lake (closing issues), Madden (survey and closing issues), Terhune (initial discussions), Temmer (appraisals), Jackson-Shields (ordering appraisals) & Riya (closing issues).
- Updated monthly PIG status report for SADC.
- Answered citizen’s questions regarding PTP.
- Met w/ owner’s representative and conducted field site inspection and then met w/ Mark Healy to discuss bike trail through the Popodopodu property (old compost site) on S. Middlebush Road.
- Met w/ Vince Dominich to prepare Suydam subdivision.
- Orientated and supervised two open space summer employees—see attached, “Summer projects in 2007.”
- Continued management of NNNGP fields
- Responded to phone call from citizen: TAC’s PTP.
- Continued to coordinate with Public Works Department on various open space projects.
- Prepared FY09 PIG grant application, including a new Farmland Preservation Element of Master Plan.
- Processed invoices for Meadows historic grant, Civil Solutions, printing & NJAS.
- Addressed complaint of motorized vehicle on GNGP.
- Met w/ Ken Daly for monthly meeting.
- Supervised Eagle Scout projects—see attached
- Prepared OSAC Minutes.
- Implement hunting program, including designing and ordering hunting signs, issuing 73 permits and posting edges of approximately 800 acres.
- Arranged mowing of trails.
- Attended Council meeting to discuss draft FY 2008 open space budget.
19. Updated Pathways and Trails Plan.
20. Attended TAC meeting.
Summer projects in 2007
9/10/2007
Bunker Hill Natural Area and Mellis Woods
Pending--none
Completed
- Weed whack and trim forest trails
- Install red trail markers in forest
- Install field trail posts and yellow trail markers
- Post property edges for hunting
Butler Road Natural Area
Pending
- Create, clear and mark trails on northwestern side of Ten Mile Run stream (A scout has been identified who wants to do this as Eagle Scout project)
Completed
- Identify, then create, clear and mark trails on northeastern and southeastern sides of Ten Mile Run stream
- Identify location of trail on northwestern side of Ten Mile Run stream
- Identify and post property edges for hunting
Catalpa
Pending
- Construct parking lot (need to discuss w/ Victor)
- Construct kiosk or bulletin board
- Install post and trail marker at first bend in trail, behind farm market
Completed
- Weed whack trail entrance at Old Vliet Rd.
- Catalpa trail head—install posts
- Remove and reinstall three posts and trail markers away from driveway
Galdi RR Bed
Pending--none
Completed
- Open up a small walking area along the RR bed by cleaning up trash and fallen trees along bed
Griggstown Native Grassland Preserve
Pending
- Construct and install bird boxes
- Construct benches for GNGP, including bench for viewing Sourland Mountains (Scout?)
- Kiosk cover-lock (9/6 or 9/7)
- Repair ruts in trails in Griggstown with gravel or soil (9/6 or 9/7)
- Fence around butterfly garden
- Design & install three signs: “Parking, 200 yards ahead”, “Speed limit 5 MPH” and “Parking-à”
Completed
- Remove brush and trees from small fence on bend of the Griggstown driveway
- Construct and install kiosk cover
- Install field posts and trail markers
- Post property edges for hunting
- Upper southeastern corner of field--fence repair
- Install fence in ATV entrance path in southwestern corner
Memorial Forest
Pending
- Repair fence behind Gierlich’s house
- Layout Memorial Forest planting
- Cover gravel in RR bed soil
- Call for mark out, then install posts at Elizabeth Ave. entrance to RR bed. (Loos)
Completed
- Clean up the trash in the forest
- Clear and mark trails in forest
- Clean up trash and fallen tress along the RR bed
- Fill puddles with gravel to eliminate mosquito breeding
- Install gravel on driveway
- Create trail and then trim trail along field edge from bike path on Amwell Road to forest edge, paralleling the RR bed
Negri Nepote Native Grassland Preserve
Pending
- Install bird boxes
- Create handicapped access trail from parking lot to wetlands (full-time public works staff are working on this; expected completion: end of September 2007)
- Create handicapped access ramp to wildlife viewing blind (Scout has agreed to do as Eagle Scout project and will complete in Spring 2008)
Completed
- Weed whack small loop trail in SW corner
- Trim trail off of Bennetts Lane
- Design, construct and install plexi-glass kiosk cover; put lock on bulletin board
- Construct and install bulletin board on Bennetts Lane
- Put hinges on blue-bird boxes then install in fields
- Install posts and trail-field markers in fields
- Weed whack from sign to bird blind
- Install purple martin bird house up on hillside above pond/wetlands area
- Repair ruts in trails—southwestern corner
Princeton Highlands Development
Pending--none
Completed
- Install developer-produced “Ten Mile Run Greenway Trail” signs along sidewalk portion of trail
- Install trail markers through the woods trail of the development on property that will be dedicated to the Township as open space
Scalzone Natural Area
Pending
- Cleanup
- Create and mark small trails
Completed
Sunset Avenue trail
Pending
- Re-open and install field posts and trail markers
- Clean up old debris
- Construct boardwalk through wet area
Completed
General projects—Township-wide
- Keep open space signs along the roads visible
- Keep the kiosks full of literature
- Pick up and remove any trash
- Report any problems