TRENTON—Mercer County Executive Brian M. Hughes underscored his administration’s commitment to open space, recreation and stewardship in the 2020 State of the County remarks he presented to the Board of Chosen Freeholders on Jan. 23.
Mr. Hughes, who was sworn in to a fifth term earlier this month, noted his administration’s “commitment to excellence” in all areas of County government and its pledge to preserve land and create recreation spaces, which the County Executive said is “vital to quality of life.”
Mr. Hughes said he is proud of the fact that his administration has been involved in preserving more than 6,000 acres and noted that a resolution authorizing the County’s purchase of the development rights of almost 400 acres of farmland in Hopewell Township was before the Freeholder Board that evening. (The board later voted to approve the resolution.)
In 2019, he said, the County Planning Department provided grants resulting in four new preserved properties in Hamilton and Hopewell Township. For 2020, the Open Space Board has approved grants for six more properties in Hopewell, Princeton, Robbinsville and East Windsor.
“All told, more than 20 percent of land in Mercer County is forever preserved,” Mr. Hughes said.
Recreational opportunities should be varied enough that “there’s something for everyone,” he said, a goal that he believes the Mercer at Play program he introduced during his first term as County Executive has helped achieve by providing County capital funds toward more than 30 municipal recreation projects across Mercer’s 12 communities. He said that in 2019 alone, the Freeholder Board approved grant agreements for recreation projects in Lawrence, Princeton, Trenton and West Windsor, plus a joint project by East Windsor and Hightstown.
“From a monetary standpoint, the return on our investment in Mercer at Play has been good,” Mr. Hughes said. “From a quality-of-life standpoint, I believe the return on investment will be much greater.”
The County Park Commission continues to expand its recreational programming, he said, noting that new offerings in 2019 included an award-winning bike-share program; overnight camping at Mercer County Park; and a trail-riding program at Mercer Stables that “provides a low-cost first exposure to horses and horseback riding.”
Mr. Hughes also touched on the County’s plans for a potential future park facility on the site of the Moores Station Quarry off Route 29 in Hopewell Township, adjacent to the Baldpate Mountain Preserve. He said the current lease to Trap Rock Industries will conclude in 2023. In anticipation of the County’s future management of the site, the Park Commission and Planning Department are “beginning a process to retain a qualified landscape architect consultant to aid in developing a Master Plan for the site,” he said, adding that the County aims to eventually integrate the quarry property into the Park Commission’s Baldpate Mountain Management Plan. “This is a project you’ll be hearing more about as it progresses,” he said.
The County Executive stressed the need to protect the investments in county-owned properties “by being good stewards of our land.” Stewardship is a cooperative effort of the Park Commission and Planning Department, he said, but it’s also a “communitywide endeavor” where 2,756 volunteer hours were dedicated to stewardship efforts in 2019.
Stewardship efforts during the past year included the completion of three projects in Hamilton that restored 13 acres of County land into habitat for native wildlife, and the installation of an urban pollinator pocket in South Riverwalk Park in Trenton where hundreds of grasses, flowers and ferns were planted, as well as other projects around the County, Mr. Hughes said.
Mr. Hughes reiterated his administration’s commitment to two ongoing projects: the replacement of the passenger terminal at Trenton-Mercer Airport and the consolidation plan for the County Correction Center.
The replacement of the passenger terminal with a “much-needed modern facility” continues to be a top priority, Mr. Hughes said, expressing his eagerness to see the project move forward. The Environmental Assessment for the proposed new terminal is still under review by the Federal Aviation Administration, he said, and until the FAA responds, “we are in a holding pattern.”
In October, the Freeholder Board approved a two-year agreement with Hudson County for correctional services that Mr. Hughes said will save Mercer taxpayers $12 million annually while preserving the job of every corrections officer. The plan is currently in litigation. “My administration, along with this board, worked extremely hard to satisfy the needs of each and every stakeholder,” he said. “We stand by our commitment to bring this plan to fruition.”
Mr. Hughes closed by emphasizing the importance of participating in the upcoming 2020 census, which helps determine the amount of federal funding the County receives and “helps us plan for the future.” He said the County has helped its communities set up Complete Count Committees, and that it recently received a $164,000 state grant to help reach hard-to-count populations.
“The impact of the Census is enormous,” Mr. Hughes said. “It is incumbent upon all of us to help spread the word.”
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