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Politics & Government

Bayonet Farm Committee Brainstorms Revenue Ideas

With no definitive budget, Bayonet Farm Committee looks to maximize income, craft Master Plan at June 14 meeting.

The Bayonet Farm Committee sat down with an ambitious agenda at their June 14 meeting, looking for sources of revenue to make the 227 acre park self-sustaining, even profitable.

Brainstorming yielded suggestions for large scale solar installations, organic farming, tourism, beer and wine production, larger and more diversified programs, and development of non-deed restricted portions of the property.

The Committee is also looking into recruiting Scout troops for small-scale projects and forging a partnership with the Department of Landscape Architecture at Rutgers University to design a property and landscaping Master Plan. Member Bryan Smith was tasked with researching landscape and architectural grants.

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But aside from clean or green uses and pro-bono partnerships, budget woes pose a more pressing challenge.

“It's difficult to come up with a 'nut' for Bayonet Farm's budget,” said Committee Chair Anna Marina Mautone. “We're trying to get accurate figures, but none of the figures for income are accurate until you can put the proper expenses to them.”

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The Committee is awaiting financial reports from various township departments, particularly the finance department, and the amount of debt service on the loan that was taken to purchase Bayonet Farm in 1985. According to the Bayonet Farm website, the Township purchased approximately 140 acres for $1.6 million with funding assistance from New Jersey's Green Acres program.

"Most people," said Anna Marina Mautone, "don't realize the costs involved in maintaining Bayonet Farm."

“The Department of Public Works spends a lot of time there,” she said. “You need to factor in their time, wear and tear on the vehicles, fuel, materials, and also the time put in by the parks and recreation personnel to get a true financial picture.”

“No one has ever actually come up with a true budget or costs, so we're trying to do that,” said Anna Marina Mautone. “It'll take at least a year."

Making tentative strides towards fire and electrical code compliance, the Chairwoman says she plans to discuss fire suppression systems for both the Red and Gray Barns with assistant township engineer, Bonnie Heard of T&M Associates. This would involve bringing in a water supply line from American Way up Middletown Road and onto the property, a major financial undertaking. The barns have temporary certificates of occupancy but need to comply to code in order to continue to run programs, according to Mautone.

“I'd rather see Bayonet Farm preserved,” said Anna Marina Mautone. “We're not changing the property at all, just trying to bring it back to its former grandeur, because I'm pretty sure that Laura Harding would roll over if she saw how her house was kept."

"But we're pretty much starting from scratch," she said.

Present at the meeting were Committee members Anna Marina Mautone, Denise Mautone, Mark Zelina, and Bryan Smith. Parks and Recreation department representative Jeannette Tompkins was also present. Member Rocky Sconda was absent.

The next meeting is scheduled for July 12 at 7 p.m., first floor conference room in Town Hall and is open to the public.

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