Articles Open space and environment
Branchburg Open Space and the New Park, Explained: The Referendum, the Purchases and the Trust Fund
What the 2022 Route 22/28 referendum asked and how voters answered, what the audit shows about the property-acquisition borrowing, the 32-acre park parcel, the renamed Parks, Recreation and Open Space Committee, the new open-space parcels and land sales, the open-space tax and trust fund, and deer management and tree planting on Township land.
The short version
- In November 2022, Branchburg voters approved a non-binding public question on spending public funds to buy land in the Route 22/28 corridor to prevent large warehouse development: 2,894 yes to 2,045 no, in the Somerset County Clerk’s certified results.
- The 2025 audit lists three property-acquisition ordinances (2023-1455, 2023-1457 and 2024-1464); $26,930,000 in notes under them was outstanding at the end of 2025, of which the audit counts $19,330,000 as to be paid by the Open Space Trust Fund.
- On Oct. 13, 2025, the Township Committee voted to move a 32-acre parcel between Routes 22 and 28 into the Open Space system and begin planning a public park.
- Ordinance 2026-1506 (Jan. 26, 2026, 4–0) renamed the advisory body the Parks, Recreation and Open Space Committee. In September 2026 signs were ordered for two new open-space parcels, on Station Road and South Branch Road, with a dedication ceremony planned.
- The open-space tax is $0.050 per $100 of assessed value; the 2026 levy is $2,671,898.30.
The 2022 referendum
The ballot question, as reproduced in Mayor James Schworn’s Sept. 2, 2022 letter:
“Should the Township of Branchburg expend public funds to acquire land within the Route 22/28 corridor for the purpose of preventing large commercial warehouse/distribution type facility development in favor of development more beneficial to the community and its residents?”
The letter says the question was non-binding: a yes vote would give the Township “the ‘option’ to acquire the properties but would be under no obligation to do so.” It estimated the market value of the properties under discussion at $25 million and a potential tax increase of approximately $220 per household “if we acquired the entire parcels.” It also noted the owners were under no obligation to sell, and that any purchase would be subject to public readings and Committee approval.
The count. The Somerset County Clerk’s final certified results for the Nov. 8, 2022 general election, last updated Nov. 23, 2022, list the “Branchburg Municipal Public Question” at 2,894 yes (58.59%) and 2,045 no (41.41%). Branchburg had 12,368 registered voters and 6,681 ballots cast in that election.
The property purchases
The 2025 audit’s general capital schedules list three ordinances titled “Acquisition of Property,” financed with bond anticipation notes:
| Ordinance | Notes first issued | Outstanding Dec. 31, 2024 | Outstanding Dec. 31, 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-1455 | Oct. 11, 2023 | $5,000,000 | — (retired in 2025) |
| 2023-1457 | Oct. 11, 2023 | $7,600,000 | $7,600,000 (renewed Oct. 4, 2025, due Oct. 6, 2026, 4.25%) |
| 2024-1464 | Apr. 25, 2024 | $19,330,000 | $19,330,000 (renewed Apr. 23, 2025, due Apr. 22, 2026, 3.50%) |
The audit also lists $95,000 authorized but not issued under 2023-1457. Its summary of municipal debt deducts “Bonds and Notes to be Paid by Open Space Trust Fund” of $19,330,000 for 2025 and $5,700,000 for each of 2024 and 2023. The audit does not name the properties these ordinances bought.
At the Jan. 5, 2026 reorganization, Mayor Schworn said in remarks printed in the minutes that “we purchased two properties on Route 28: we are in the process of converting the Advance property into open space,” with the goal of keeping it “untouched in its natural state.” He said he had asked the administration to evaluate whether the Township can retain the Pizzo property longer and the fiscal impact of doing so: “There have been reports about developing that site with townhomes. That was never the goal, and I will not support any such development.” He said the original intent was to develop the Route 28 corridor to complement the college’s growth, that the college “is not moving forward as quickly as anticipated,” and that until its plans are clear it is best “to do nothing with the Pizzo property rather than to rush and do the wrong thing with the property.”
The park parcel
The Township’s Oct. 14, 2025 release says the Committee voted the previous day “to initiate the transfer of a 32-acre property in the northern section of town into the Township’s Open Space system, beginning the process of developing a new public park ahead of the United States’ 250th anniversary in 2026.” The release:
- places the property between Route 22 and Route 28 and says it was “acquired following the 2022 voter referendum”;
- quotes Mayor Thomas Young: “The original purpose of this purchase was to give Branchburg control over its future”;
- quotes Committeeman Dave Owens: “This property will move from preservation to purpose”;
- says the Municipal Open Space and Recreation Committee will lead the planning process and seek public input, with early concepts including community events, walking paths, natural areas and facilities for concerts, festivals and civic gatherings;
- says public workshop dates and engagement sessions “will be announced in the coming months.”
The release gives no block and lot or purchase price. At the November 10, 2025 Committee meeting, Mayor Young asked the Administrator to arrange a Parks and Open Space Committee meeting to set objectives for 2026 and to meet with Raritan Valley Community College to coordinate priorities on the properties in the north end of town.
The Parks, Recreation and Open Space Committee
The January 5, 2026 reorganization appointed a Parks and Open Space Committee of the Administrator, the Recreation Director, Mr. Beatrice, the Mayor or designee, an Environmental Commission member, the Planning Board chair and four residents. Ordinance 2026-1506, introduced Jan. 12 and adopted at the January 26, 2026 Committee meeting on a 4–0 recorded vote with no public comment, renamed it the Parks, Recreation and Open Space Committee. It keeps the open-space duties (an open-space map and inventory with priority rankings, opinions on purchases, guidance to the Township Committee and Planning Board), adds the review of recreation programs, the need for parks and playgrounds and an annual report, and requires quarterly meetings.
Mr. Beatrice reported on Feb. 23, 2026 that the reformed committee, which the minutes call ROPAC, had met; on March 9 he said it had met with the local sports clubs, whose consensus was that they need turf fields and lights rather than more fields. A committee meeting was announced for April 7, 2026.
New open-space parcels and Township land
- Sempre and Advance properties. On Aug. 10, 2026, Mr. Bonin said the Township is working on the wording of signs dedicating the Sempre and Advance properties as open-space parcels, with a ceremony to follow.
- Station Road and South Branch Road. At the September 28, 2026 Committee meeting, Mr. Bonin said signs have been ordered for the Township’s two new open-space parcels, on Station Road and South Branch Road, and that a dedication ceremony is being planned with no date yet.
- Dartco property. On Aug. 10, 2026, Mr. Bonin said that under a judge’s order, clearance has been granted to offer the Dartco property to the Township, but that NJDEP must first confirm the Township will not be liable for prior contamination; the Township Attorney said testing and monitoring are ongoing, and the Mayor said a waiver from NJDEP is needed before the Township accepts it.
- 200 Harlan School Road. On Dec. 8, 2025, Mr. Bonin said this Township lot (Block 17.13, Lot 12.02, next to the Silver Saddle Community Pool) is no longer needed, shared an appraisal and the sale process, and the Committee agreed to sell it. It authorized an auction on Jan. 12, 2026 (Res. 2026-29) and a contract of sale on June 22, 2026 (Res. 2026-121), each in a 5–0 consent vote. The minutes list the resolutions by title without a buyer or price.
The open-space tax and the trust fund
Branchburg’s Open Space, Recreation, Farmland and Historic Preservation Trust Fund is fed by a dedicated tax. The 2026 budget, introduced March 23 and adopted April 27, 2026 (Res. 2026-88, 5–0), shows on its trust-fund sheet (Sheet 43):
| Line | Figure |
|---|---|
| 2026 levy | $2,671,898.30 |
| Rate assessed | $0.0500 |
| 2025 taxes realized | $2,462,766.50 |
| 2025 cash realized | $2,482,848.73 |
| Total tax collected to date | $37,431,124.40 |
| Total expended to date | $27,763,006.29 |
| Recreation land preserved in 2025 | 0.000 acres |
| Farmland preserved in 2025 | 0.000 acres |
The 2025 audit independently reports the 2025 municipal open-space tax as $2,462,766.50 plus $20,082.23 in added taxes, totaling $2,482,848.73, and the municipal open-space rate as $0.050 per $100 of assessed value for 2023, 2024 and 2025.
The 2026 User Friendly Budget’s summary row prints the levy as $2,671,898, without the 30 cents; the adopted budget’s own sheets print $2,671,898.30.
Trust balances, on three different schedules. The records show three figures for open-space money on hand, each on its own accounting basis, with no reconciliation in the record:
| Record | Figure | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 audit, Schedule of Reserve for Various Deposits | $2,866,725.14 at Dec. 31, 2025 (from $7,894,861.01 at Dec. 31, 2024, plus $2,706,958.83 increases, minus $7,735,094.73 decreases) | A reserve-for-deposits row, not an unrestricted cash balance |
| 2025 audit, interfund schedule | $700,000 due from the Open Space Trust Fund at year-end | An interfund receivable |
| 2025 Annual Financial Statement, cash reconciliation | $5,055,200.00 for “Trust - Municipal Open Space” | A cash-reconciliation entry |
The audit’s figures do not itemize what the 2025 decreases of $7,735,094.73 paid for. The bill list approved July 27, 2026 includes $99,515.70 from the open space fund to Storr Tractor Co. for a Toro Groundmaster.
Park capital. The 2026 budget’s six-year capital program lists “Park Improvements” at $445,000 total: $45,000 in 2026, $100,000 in each of 2027, 2028 and 2029, and $50,000 in each of 2030 and 2031. The schedule names no park or project, and the budget states the capital program itself does not authorize spending.
Deer management and trees on Township land
At the September 14, 2026 Committee meeting, Larry Fox, chairman of the Wildlife Management Committee, presented the annual deer-harvest report for the 2025–2026 season. He said the committee recommends adding the Sempre property to the approved hunting areas and that some farmed sites are not being actively hunted by the farmers who lease them and could be opened to hunters. On motion of Mr. Young, seconded by Mr. Beatrice, the Committee moved to approve the 2026–2027 deer hunting season. In public comment, Christine Bliss of Woodfern Road raised concern that development is displacing deer; Mayor Schworn said significant development is also occurring in neighboring municipalities and that future development may slow with economic conditions.
The Township’s tree program uses developer funds to plant trees on public property and along streets on private property, Mr. Bonin said Aug. 10, 2026. Mr. Bonin reported about 300 trees planted in fall 2025 and about 1,000 in total (Dec. 8, 2025); 160 in spring 2026 (Apr. 13, 2026); and about $80,000 in the fund for 200–250 more trees (July 27, 2026). The Committee awarded the planting contract to Louis Barbato Landscaping Inc. on Aug. 10, 2026 (Res. 2026-151), and the fifth round was set for planting in the second half of October 2026.
Farmland context
The March 8, 2023 master-plan reexamination summarizes Somerset County’s 2022 preservation plan: a countywide farmland-preservation goal of 16,000 acres, significant portions of the county’s prime farmland in Branchburg, and significant portions of the Township within an Agricultural Development Area. It states the county element sets no Branchburg-specific preservation goals, and it retains the Township’s own 2011 goals of retaining farmland and open space and preparing an open-space and conservation plan.
The Township’s posted Recreation and Open Space Inventory map carries sheet dates of Sept. 19, 2001 and Dec. 3, 2002 (the Township file is labeled “2018 ROSI”). Its sheet 1 aggregates 639.53 acres of wholly undeveloped land and 175.06 acres of developed or partially developed land. Those are historical inventory totals, not a current count of preserved land.
What comes next
- A dedication ceremony for the Station Road and South Branch Road parcels, with no date set as of Sept. 28, 2026.
- The Parks, Recreation and Open Space Committee’s work on the park and its annual report to the Township Committee under Ordinance 2026-1506.
- NJDEP’s answer on liability before the Township accepts the Dartco property.
- The 2026–2027 deer season on the approved Township parcels.
What residents can do
- Read the record. The Township’s agendas and minutes page links its Documents-On-Demand portal, which holds Township Committee minutes and the open-space committee folders.
- Attend and speak. Township Committee meetings are the second and fourth Monday at 7 p.m. in the Municipal Building courtroom; the next regular meeting is Nov. 9, 2026.
- Read the fiscal record. The 2026 adopted budget and 2025 audit carry the trust-fund and acquisition-note schedules.
- Ask the Township Clerk for the acquisition ordinances and deeds, which identify the land the Township bought and the price.