Purchase of four-acre ‘animal farm’ approved MIDDLETOWN — The Township Committee adopted an ordinance last week authorizing the acquisition of a four-acre tract between Church Street and Broadway in the Belford section of the township. The acquisition is part of an ongoing commitment to slow growth and protect open spaces. "The township’s acquisition of this vacant property will help to relieve development pressures in the neighborhood and allow the land to continue to serve as a natural buffer for residents," said Mayor Joan Smith, who noted the land could be used for recreational purposes. The township will purchase the parcel from Mildred Fisler for $390,000, using funds collected through Middletown’s open space tax. The tax remains at 1 cent per $100 of assessed valuation, and under the 2001 budget, the penny on the tax rate raises $474,674 in revenue. The property, which can be accessed from Locust Street, is affectionately known by some longtime residents as the "animal farm" since the land sometimes served in previous decades as a safe haven for animals usually not found in suburbia, such as deer, goats, llamas and cows. The township has no plans to house any animals on the property in the future, Smith added. "The township open space program gives us the ability in time-sensitive situations such as these to act quickly and save a property from being developed," said Deputy Mayor Rick Brodsky. He noted a developer could have constructed several houses on the vacant parcel under current zoning regulations. Other tracts of land acquired under the program include a 6.36-acre parcel off Swartzel Drive, a 10.48-acre parcel near the Middletown train station, a five-acre tract at Route 520 and Phalanx Road in the Lincroft section obtained from Brookdale through a land-swap agreement, and a small parcel in the Leonardo section. The township’s Planning Board and committee approved the Open Space and Recreation Plan as an element of the master plan in August 1999. The plan identifies properties throughout the township suitable for preservation. It also contains a comprehensive set of goals and objectives designed to address both short- and long-term needs for recreation and open space. "In addition to outright sale of a property,