'Lucille Ball pond' in Edison to be preserved but residents want more

EDISON – The developer of the property at 110 Clive St., locally known as the ‘Lucille Ball pond,’ can move forward with plans to build two single-family homes there after the Planning Board granted subdivision approval.

And while the approval ensures the pond will remain, it will be split between the two lots, one 58,290 square feet and the other 33,500 square feet. The applicant's engineer explained that if the pond had been put on just one lot, variances for lot width would have been needed and by dividing the pond between the two lots, they both conform with township requirements.

Nearby residents however remain concerned about the pond's maintenance and the possibility of restoring it to the way it looked years ago, as the gem of the neighborhood on the Edison and Metuchen border. Currently the pond will just be preserved in its natural state.

Earlier this month the Planning Board unanimously approved the minor subdivision requested by applicant S&A General Construction + Development Inc. but also included several conditions, such as a transition area with the pond to be in a conservation easement, enforced by the township. The owner of the larger lot will have the sole responsibility for the upkeep and maintenance of the pond, the eastern driveway will be sloped toward the property line and away from neighbors and native trees are to be planted instead of invasive species.

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In addition, the developer, who plans to live in the house on the larger lot, has agreed to clean up the existing site in accordance with the township's property maintenance code. Residents said the property is currently littered with bottles and debris.

The board's approval is contingent upon all outside agency approvals.

Plans call for one home to have a driveway off Clive Street while the other will have driveway access off Mason Drive, near the pond.

For at least four years residents from both Edison and Metuchen have been fighting to preserve the 20,000-year-old glacial pond in front of the large vacant house at 110 Clive St., at the corner of Mason Drive, which is home to turtles, frogs, salamanders, heron and other wildlife. One resident recalled people ice skating on the pond years ago. The residents feared development plans for the site would fill in the pond.

The state Department of Environmental Protection however identified the pond on the 91,700-square-foot lot as a wetlands area that cannot be filled or altered. 

Robert Hale of Buchanan Road, whose property abuts the Clive Street lot, said the lack of maintenance of the pond over the years has led to it being filled in with tall phragmites or reeds, making the pond water is hard to see. He said if the developer restored the pond it would add greatly to the neighborhood.

Gayle Becker of Clive Street echoed that sentiment.

"I really wish the pond could be cleaned up. It's the crown jewel of the Oak Hills area. The wildlife is beautiful," she said at the meeting. "It's a very special place."

Township officials said the wetlands area is heavily regulated by the DEP and special permits would be needed to do any work on the pond.

One planning board member suggested the applicant could ask the DEP about cutting back the tall reeds when they seek other permits from that agency.

Famed comedian Lucille Ball has no direct link to the home or property. However, she is believed to have met with a local real estate agent in the early 1960s after divorcing Desi Arnaz and while she was working on stage in New York. That meeting led to speculation she was house shopping in the area and perhaps considering the stately home at 110 Clive St.

Email: srussell@gannettnj.com  

Suzanne Russell is a breaking news reporter for MyCentralJersey.com covering crime, courts and other mayhem. To get unlimited access, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.