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In
1999 Brookdale Community College planned to try to sell a
piece of its property to raise funds to build a Student Life
Center on campus. The property in question was isolated
from Brookdale's boundaries by the realignment of Phalanx
Road and borders CR520, Phalanx Road and Old Phalanx Road,
next to the BP Station. The late George Toop, whose
property adjoined Brookdale, became aware of the potential
land sale and informed his neighbors along Phalanx Road. A
group of concerned residents soon began collecting signatures
on a petition to stop the sale of the deed restricted property,
which was in a commercial development zone. After about 2
weeks of collecting signatures, the group presented the petition
to the Middletown Township Committee. On June 21, 1999, the
Middletown Township Committe passed a resolution opposing
the sale of the Brookdale property. Representatives from the
Township Committee met with the trustees of Brookdale, as
well as county and state representatives. Consequently, Brookdale
decided not to sell the property, as outlined in a letter
of July 6, 1999, by Mayor O'Grady to residents of Lincroft.
The letter can be viewed here.
The Middletown Township Committee continued its dialog with
Brookdale Community College and a land swap between Middletown
and Brookdale was negotiated. In the land swap, Middletown
acquired the six acre parcel, which is now preserved and under
development for passive recreation, and Brookdale received
a small amount of township park land that adjoins the Brookdale
campus. Brookdale has since used the land that it obtained
in the land swap to alter the path of its main road through
the campus. The letter regarding the land swap, dated May
11, 2001, from Mayor Smith to the members of the Lincroft
Task Force, can viewed here.
The six acre parcel of land is now becoming the newest Middletown
park.
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