Resident gives alternative to failed strategy

On July 19, I asked the Ocean County Freehold-ers, at a public portion of their meeting, to acknowledge that with increasing road congestion and overdevelopment, it is time to declare taxpayer acquisition of open space and farmland for millions and millions of tax dollars as a failed strategy, to be replaced by clarification of land-use rights and zoning with an outcome declaring that the smallest property size must be 6 acres, five of which must be used for open space and agrarian purposes, and one contiguous acre must be used for the family homestead or business and industry.

Their response of "stay the course" was predictable, as it might be with any other freeholder board in New Jersey. Freeholder Bartlett insisted that we can't stop overdevelopment, but the fact is that the 6-acre tract stops overdevelopment instantly without the expenditure of millions in tax dollars. Bartlett went on to state that the people voted for the current program, while failing to tell his audience that clarification of land-use rights and zoning to secure open space and farmland was prevented from going on the ballot. Freeholder Kelly stated that the board does not do zoning; all the board has to do is support zoning.

Finally, Freeholder Little said that 6-acre home sites would be very exclusionary. Quite to the contrary, anything less than 6 acres would be exclusionary. Universally, it is understood that a family can survive on 5 acres. Add one more acre for the homestead, and you have the 6-acre concept.

Ray Kalainikas

Manalapan