Open Space, Conservation, Recreation, Farmland and Historical Preservation Advisory Committee

It shall be the Mission of this Committee to assist the Borough of Ringwood in acquiring or dedicating available lands for the joint purposes of environmental conservation, recreational development, farmland and historical preservation of the Borough's natural resources.

This mission shall be accomplished by the development of specific goals and objectives, which shall include the following:

The Committee shall prioritize the needs of the Borough with specific regard to the a.) Need for Environmental Conservation and Protection of Open Space, b.) Need for Additional Recreational/Parkland Uses, c.) Need for and Viability of Purchases for Farmland and Historical Preservation and Restoration Purposes.  Such objective can be fulfilled by the scheduling and holding of two public hearings which shall be publicized by proper legal means, including posting at Borough Hall in Ringwood, and by the gathering of public input, including the use of a Public Opinion Poll, which can be development by a Commitee or with outside assistance.

The Committee shall evaluate and itemize existing vacant lands within the Borough, and categorize same into Inventory Groups, as follows:  a.) Sites for Potential Environmental Conservation as Open Space; b.) Sites for Potential Recreational or Parkland Uses; c.) Farmland Preservation; d.) Sites for Potential Historical Preservation; e.) Miscellaneous Sites Not Fit for Above Purposes or currently already undergoing development.  Such Separate Inventory Lists can then be categorized by Market Value, Size and Suitability for the particular purposes of the Committee.

The Committee shall review the Master Plan of the Borough, the County Open Space Plan, any State Development Plan and any plans of other governing bodies to determine how the Open Space Committee Goals fit within the Master Plan to avoid overlap or redundancy with other governing bodies or boards, such as the Recreation Committee, Environmental Committee and other relevant parties.  The Committee shall liaise with other groups with similar objectives of acquiring or preserving land in order to complement and facilitate such activities and objectives.

Environmental Conservancy and Protection:  The Committee shall understand and evaluate the existing inventory of dedicated public parkland and protected space in the Borough, and determine the needs of the Borough to acquire additional parkland and protected open space in an effort to maintain the existing wetlands, greenways, bodies of water, purity of aquifers, and natural wooded beauty of the Borough for now and for future generations.

Historical Preservation and Development:  The Committee shall identify sites of historical significance within the Borough and evaluate the feasibility of acquiring historical sites to preserve and rehabilitiate same for public appreciation and for future generations.  In an effort to join forces with existing organizations managing or inhabiting existing Historical Sites within the Borough, the Committee shall undertake to evaluate the existing Historical Sites within the Borough to determine:  a.) current governance of Sites, b.) current source of funding, c.) any existing plans by other organizations to improve or amend existing historical resources.  These efforts can assist the Committee to develop a plan to determine how the Committee can assist ongoing efforts or liaise with other organizations to pursue similar goals.

Recreation:  The Committee shall evalute the Borough's needs for creating new or augmenting existing public recreation facilities or areas, and to pursue the responsible acquisition and development of lands for the fulfillment of these recreation needs.

Open Space Advisory Members - 2024

Mayor Sean T. Noonan           

Council Member Paul Rubacky        

Brad Wiley, Planning Board  

Diana Buongiorno,  Board of Adjustment

Gary Wogisch, Environmental Commission

Recreation Commission Representative

Joseph Cortina:  January 1, 2023 – December 31, 2024

Chantel Zimmerman:  January 1, 2023 - December 31, 2024

William Conklin:  January 1, 2024 - December 31, 2025

Linda Schaefer:  January 1, 2024 - December 31, 2025