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BrooksFarmIntroduction:
The302yearsold10.6acresBrooksFarm,locatedon119HickoryLane,ClosterNJ,wasmainly runasaneggfarmwithsupplementalcropproduction,andorchard,threebarns,acorncrib andacaretakershouse. Thefarmmainresidentialbuilding,ResolvertNagelHouse,wasbuiltabout1745onland purchasedin1710byBarentandResolvertNagel.Thehouseandthefarmcomplexdesignated asanationalhistoricallandmark,recognizeforitssignificanceinAmericanHistorybytheNJ StateandtheNationalRegister.(SR10/3/80&NR1/9/83,#83001535)

JoiningtheBergenCountyFarmlandPreservationProgram:
InJune29,2004,thefarmownerEllenBrooksagreedtojointheBergenCountyFarmland PreservationProgram,aDeedofEasementwassignedandrecorded,andEllenBrookswaspaid $2,544,993fortheagreement.Bothfundingresources,theOpenSpaceTrustFund($890,748) &theGardenStatePreservationTrust($1,654,245)arefundedfromtheNJStateresidentsreal estatetaxes. TheBergenCountyFarmlandPreservationProgramincludesaFarmConservationPlansthat wherepreparedforEllenBrooksbytheNaturalResourcesConservationService(NRCS),an agencyoftheUnitedStatesDepartmentofAgriculture.NRCSworkswithlandownersthrough

conservationplanningandassistancedesignedtobenefitthesoil,water,air,plants,and animalsthatresultinproductivelandsandhealthyecosystems. TheCountyofBergenAgricultureBoard,willnotreleasetheBrookFarmConservationPlans tothepublicandstatethattheyareconsideredconfidentialinformationandassucharenot publicdocumentsundersection1619ofthe2008FarmBilloftheUnitedStatesDepartmentof Agriculture.

NewOwnership:
FollowingEllenBrooksdeath,GILMARTIN,S.&E.LBROOKSREVTRUST,206HowardStreet, Ashland,VA23005soldthefarmonJanuary11,2012toMetropolitanFarm,LLCforavery modestsumof$1.225,000dollars.Anofferof$1.5milliondollarsfromaClosterresidence, wererejectedbythetrustowner.TheopinionofsomeofthetownresidentsisthattheCloster HistoricPreservationCommissiondidnotapprovetheresidentplansforResolvertNagelHouse andthefarmcomplexandsupportedthesaletoMetropolitanFarm,LLC. MetropolitanFarmowneralsoowntheMetropolitanPlant&FlowerExchangethathasa multipleMegaRetailStores.ThenewownerisengagedinMONUMENTALdevelopmentsatthe farmincludingcuttingdowntensorperhapshundredsofoldtreesandmajorearthworksand excavationistakingplaceinpreparationforbuilding55,000sqftPolyhouses.

Concerns:

1ItlooksliketheBrookFarmConservationPlansthatwepaid$2,544,993forandtheDeed ofEasementrestrictionsareignoredandwecannotgetconfirmationalsothataNEWFarm ConservationPlanwheredevelopedandapproved.(ThatprocessisalsopartoftheDeedof Easement).

2Environmental,Health&Safetyconcerns: Nodrainage,airquality,&soilstudieswheresubmittedtotheClostertown,andour electedofficialsareaskingustowaitandseewhatimpactthenewactivitieswillhave onus! ThiskindofapproachisunacceptableandweareOUTRAGED! 3Flooding: Building12structuresthatare30feetby144feetlongtotaling51,840sqftwill drasticallyincreasetheimperviouscoverageoftheFarmanditisnotinlinewith conservationplanningandassistancedesignedthatwasmadebytheNRCStobenefit thesoil,water,air,plants,andanimalsthatresultinproductivelandsandhealthy ecosystems.Increaseoftheareawatertableismorelikelyandwillcreateanewflood zone.

4MajorcommercialfarmontheEastHill: Additionalair,noise,andchemicalpollution,contaminatingourstreamthatflows intotheOradellReservoir. SecondaccessfortruckstoopenuponRuckmanRoadandWendyLane. AdditionalcommercialtrafficonAlpineDrive,Walker,Bradley,Sherman,Anderson, Ruckman,Taylor,PiermontRoadandothersurroundingstreets.Trafficwillhavean impactonallneighboringstreetssurroundingthefarm. Farmstandtoselltothepublicandlandscapers,willcreateamajortraffic congestionsonaquietresidentialneighborhoodwithverynarrowstreetthatcant accommodatetodaytwolanesandhasnosidewalksinmajorareasforcingour children'stosharetheroadwith16foottrucks.

5Outragedthatmillionsofdollarsoftaxpayer'smoneywasspendonaprogramthatbenefits onesinglefarmerbusinessin119HickoryLanebutwhenitcomestofixingtheroadand addingsidewalksonthesamestreet,thatbenefitshundredsofthosesametaxpayersweare gettinglotsofexcusesmainlythatitistoocostly!!

Actionsyoucantaketohelp:
1Signupforourmailinglist(ilana4@aol.com)andsendmoneytohelppayourlegalfees. MakethecheckstotheLawFirmofShapiro&Crolandandmailthemto51HickoryLane, ClosterNJ07624.Mostcheckswereceivedsofarwhereatthe$1,000dollarsrangehowever even$300or$200willhelpaswell.

2ExpressyouroutragewithClostertownmayorandcouncil,andwithBergencountyand Stateofficials.

3Writeletterandcalltocomplaintothefollowingnewsagencies: PressJournalRobynNadel,editorial@Bergennews.com Suburbanitesuburbanite@northjersey.com JewishStandardBethChenanie,beth@jewishmediagroup.com NorthernValleyPressLaurieKaplanorKristinBonnett, northernvalleypress@thepressgroup.net Bergenrecordnewsroom@northjesey.com YediotAmericaIlanitShabot,ilanitshabot@gmail.com

CommentsandObservations:

TheRighttoFarmActprovidesalotofprotectionstothepropertyownerandthelegislator intentionisprobablytochannelpubliccomplaintsthroughthetownsmunicipalityandfor themtopassitintotheCADB's. TheCADB'sadministratoraretheprimaryagencythathasoversightauthorityonthesiteand sofaritisevidentthattheyhavefailedtoenforcetheprotectionsandseemstomemore sympathetictotheCorporationsanditsFarmactivitythenthefactsthatthisactivitiesshows MAJOR&CLEARviolationsofthedeedrestrictions.

$2.54milliondollarstaxpayermoneybought: 1Thenonagriculturaldevelopmentrightsandcreditsontheproperty.

2AconservationPlanthattheFarmshouldoperateunderandassuchconvertingit fromaFarmtoaPreserveFarm.

3InordertooperatethePreserveFarminadifferentmannerfromtheoriginal ConservationPlan,anewFarmConservationPlanwillberequiredaspartoftheDeedof Easementandneedtobeapprovedbeforehand!!