Madison has an offer on the table to buy the Drew Forest. Now it needs to find the money
By William Westhoven | Daily Record
Madison has taken another step in its efforts to acquire 53 acres of woodlands from Drew University and prevent development on the environmentally sensitive site.
With a full audience of supporters spilling into the hallways of the Hartley Dodge Memorial Building last week, the Borough Council unanimously passed a resolution to apply for a Morris County Open Space Grant to help fund the purchase.
"I really see us as stewards of the Drew Forest, and it would be an awful shame if we lost this on our watch," Councilman John Forte said.
The southern gate to the campus of Drew University off Glenwild Road in Madison, which borders the 53-acre Drew Forest Preserve. William Westhoven.
The size of the grant application has yet to be determined, Madison Administrator Ray Codey said. The borough has put a purchase offer on the table for Drew, but Codey declined to disclose the amount, saying university officials would prefer to keep it private. The price will likely be "in the multimillions of dollars," the administrator said.
Many in the audience last Tuesday wore "Save the Drew Forest" T-shirts as members of Friends of the Drew Forest, a nonprofit group composed of residents and environmentalists who see the forest as critical to preserving the unique ecology and water supply in the area.
"After two years of raising awareness and building support for a win-win conservation purchase, we are thrilled to see the borough taking this step tonight," said Lydia Chambers, co-chair of Friends of the Drew Forest.
Chambers added that seven nearby municipalities have also passed resolutions supporting preservation efforts, along with 15 environmental organizations including the Passaic River Coalition and the Sierra Club.
Barbara Heskins Davis, a vice president of the New Jersey Land Conservancy, noted that the Drew Forest borders the preserved open space at Giralda Farms in Madison and is also within a short walk of Morris County's Loantaka Park.
"Drew Forest is the lynchpin that anchors them all" and is "in danger of being bulldozed and destroyed," she said.
The borough is in discussions with the county Open Space Committee to gauge how much money will be available for this year's Open Space Grant program. Madison is also hoping for federal Community Grant funds requested by U.S. Rep. Mike Sherrill, D-Montclair, who represents the borough in Washington.
Sherrill's federal grant application requested $5 million. The deadline for submitting county grant applications is June 9.
"The Forest captures and purifies approximately 71.5 million gallons of rainfall each year and its aquifer is a major source of drinking water for 31 municipalities in Morris, Essex, Somerset, and Union County," the Sherrill application reads. "It provides all the drinking water for Madison, Chatham Borough, Florham Park and East Hanover."
On Friday, Sherrill said the processing of Community Grant applications has been held up by debt ceiling negotiations on Capitol Hill. "I’ve heard from residents throughout NJ-11 about the need to save Drew Forest and I will fight hard to secure this funding," she added, noting that she was working with U.S. Sen. Cory Booker on the matter.
Drew and Madison have been at odds over the property since the school announced its interest in selling it to developers in 2022. The conflict spilled into the courts last year when state Superior Court Judge Stephan Hansbury partially granted a motion allowing the university to intervene in its home borough's negotiated settlement with the state to build new affordable housing.
Hansbury also ordered the school to produce a survey identifying specific portions of the forest as well as 63 acres near the southern end of the campus that Drew asserts is vacant land available for development.
“Save the Drew Forest” signs are seen along Glenwild Road in Madison on August 23, 2022. The road borders the 53-acre forest reserve at Drew University. William Westhoven.
At the time of the court decision, Madison Mayor Robert Conley expressed his desire to work with the university to "pursue a solution that saves the forest and helps Drew with their serious budget shortfalls."
Drew attorney John Inglesino commented on Hansbury's decision, saying, "Drew University looks forward to working closely with Madison to accomplish our mutually beneficial goal."
Last Tuesday, Councilwoman Rachel Ehrlich said the council needed to "urgently call on Drew to step up and discuss this purchase."
