DELAWARE
AND RARITAN CANAL PRESERVATION ADVANCES
DEP Acquires Princeton
Nurseries Property
Princeton University
Donates More Than 125 Acres
(05/03) TRENTON -- Highlighting the importance of saving
open space in central New Jersey, Department of Environmental
Protection (DEP) Commissioner Bradley M. Campbell today announced
the preservation of 187 acres in Plainsboro and South Brunswick
townships in Middlesex County. The property is located within
the State Princeton Nurseries Historic District and is adjacent
to the Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park.
"The preservation of this property represents a true public-private
partnership," said Acting Governor Richard J. Codey. "By
coming together to protect this open space, we are preserving
the quality of life New Jersey residents enjoy. The Princeton
Nurseries property is especially important, given the contributions
it made to our state's and our nation's nursery industry over
the past nine decades."
Commissioner Campbell announced the acquisition at the former
headquarters of Princeton Nurseries, which began operating in
1911 and once was the largest commercial nursery business in the
United States. In its 93 years of operation, Princeton Nurseries
created plant varieties including the Princeton Elm and the Snow
Queen Hydrangea.
"Today's announcement signifies the realization of a vision
shared by the DEP Green Acres Program, Princeton University, South
Brunswick and Plainsboro," said Commissioner Campbell. "The
protection of this parcel will provide recreation opportunities,
protect the nursery's historic buildings and open fields and prevent
future development at this site, which is located in a densely
populated area."
The property was preserved through a partnership between the
DEP Green Acres Program, Princeton University and South Brunswick
Township. As part of the preservation project, DEP purchased approximately
60 acres of land at a cost of $2,794,565. DEP will manage a seven-acre
portion of the Princeton Nurseries property as an addition to
the Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park. The headquarters building,
which is located on this parcel, will serve as an interpretive
center to be used by visitors to the park.
The remaining 53 acres are co-owned by DEP and South Brunswick
and will be managed by South Brunswick as a park to be used for
passive recreation. This parcel includes warehouse buildings,
the historic propagation house and eight greenhouses. Using a
$300,000 endowment provided by the former landowner and additional
funding from Princeton University, DEP and South Brunswick will
develop a preservation plan that will include the rehabilitation
of these buildings for public education and recreation purposes.
"After five years of negotiation, I am pleased that this
beautiful preserve will remain as open space," said South
Brunswick Mayor Frank Gambatese. "I am excited that this
acreage will be transformed into an interpretive educational,
horticultural and historic preservation center as well as a historic
landscape greenway."
DEP also secured State Historic Preservation Easements to protect
the facades of historic homes located on the property. These homes,
which once housed employees of Princeton Nurseries, were built
in the early 1900s. The historic preservation easements were developed
in conjunction with and will be enforced by the State Historic
Preservation Office.
Princeton University donated to the State of New Jersey and South
Brunswick a 127-acre parcel of land adjacent to the Princeton
Nurseries property. The land is part of property the University
purchased 19 years ago from Princeton Nurseries. Princeton University
also retained several historic residences from the same era as
the headquarters building and will place Historic Preservation
façade easements on these residences at no cost to the
State.
"Princeton University is proud to be a partner in this important
preservation effort," said Princeton University President
Shirley M. Tilghman. "This project reflects goals that we
established for Princeton Forrestal Center when it began in the
1970s, and for the land that we acquired from Princeton Nurseries
in 1986. These goals can be described as a commitment to both
the economic vitality and the quality of life in Central New Jersey.
With this project, Princeton University will have contributed
to the preservation of 650 acres of permanent open space in the
region."
"All parties are to be congratulated for the cooperation
and effort that resulted in this significant addition in preserved
open space," said Plainsboro Mayor Peter Cantu. "It
represents an important accomplishment, not only for the communities
involved, but for the entire Central Jersey region."
The DEP Green Acres Program purchases land to protect environmentally
sensitive open space, water resources and other significant natural
and historical open space. Land acquired becomes part of the statewide
system of parks and forest, wildlife management areas and natural
areas.
In 2004, the Green Acres Program acquired 23,237 acres of open
space. To date, Green Acres has protected 686,745 acres of open
space and provided funding to develop hundreds of parks statewide.
The statewide system of preserved open space and farmland totals
almost 1.3 million acres.
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