Open Space Purchase Could Be Used for Recreation

An ordinance introduced during the Feb. 28 Township Committee meeting would permit the purchase of 237 acres of open space on East Mountain Road and Mill Lane.

“Land preservation here in Hillsborough has always been a top priority,” said Bob Wagner, the Township Committee’s Open Space Advisory Committee Liaison. “With the purchase of this particular piece of land, it’s going to help with connecting other preserved pieces of land in that area.

“It’s already come through the Open Space Committee and it’s supported there, and I certainly support it,” he added.

The land, currently owned by PID Associates, is $13,004 per acre, for a total cost of $3,081,948. Of that amount, $1.35 million will be paid using Green Acres Open Space grant funds, $82,000 will be from the PSE&G right-of-way diversion, and the remaining $1.64 million from the township’s Open Space Trust Fund.

The property is near 320 acres of already-preserved farmland on Mill Lane, according to the township. It’s anticipated that the property will be used for passive recreation activity. Passive recreation includes hiking, walking and picnic areas, though the exact type of recreation has not yet been established.

According to Open Space Committe Chairman Helen Haines, the.

The purchase would bring the township’s percentage of preserved land to 31 percent of its 54-square-miles, according to Mayor Carl Suraci.

The committee will still need to vote on the ordinance, which will undergo a public hearing on March 27.

Editor's Note: This article has been updated to reflect that the Open Space grant funds received in August 2011 will be used toward the land purchase. It had also incorrectly identified Doyle's Farm as a piece of preserved land, which has also been corrected.