Council Plans To Acquire Lavender Farm For Open Space In Lawrence

LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ - A while back, the Trails, Open Space and Stewardship Committeerecommended to the township that Lavender Farm be considered for open space acquisition.

During Tuesday’s council meeting Township Manager Kevin Nerwinski presented his report on the inspection of the property to gauge its suitability as an open space. Nerwinski told Council he visited the area and surveyed it along with the Township’s CFO.

“It is strategically placed in a location along the Johnson Trolley Line and I think it’s a good area in order to acquire by open space funding. It’s going to be a difficult situation with the owner but it's something we can discuss later on in the process,” Nerwinksi said.

Councilman Mike Powers said the matter was discussed with the township’s Trails, Open Space and Stewardship Committee, and members expressed no objection to acquiring the land.

“I’m in support of the manager's recommendation as long as we follow the proper procedure and do the vetting and everything else for environmental issues,” Councilman Christopher Bobbitt said.

The council unanimously agreed to move forward with looking into acquiring the land for open space.

The farm gets its name from former owners Willie and Clara Lavender who raised their family there, and ownership to their estate. Although the plot of land is used for farming, it was not used to farm lavender.

The suggestion to purchase the property was first raised at the October 2022 meeting of the township’s Trails Open Space Stewardship (T&OSS) committee.

The committee arranged a site visit on Nov. 6 2022, with Farley Lavender, the estate executor.

The Committee then prepared a formal proposal for the Township to consider the purchase, which was approved at the Committee's Dec. 7 meeting.

The township’s Environmental & Green Advisory Committee, Friends of the Lawrence Greenway, Lawrence Township Environmental Education Foundation, and Sustainable Lawrence endorsed the proposal.

Local non-profit organizations have scheduled a community conversation on May 1, from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m., at the Lawrence Community Center, 295 Eggert Crossing Road.

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