Of course we already have access to the Recreational Activities shown in the second Hillsborough Republican Election Committee mailer! In addition, some online comments and letters to the editor in local newspapers make it seem as if our residents don’t have access to Hillsborough’s open space.
Friends of Hillsborough Open Space (FOHOS) decided to fact-check this claim.
The Township’s Recreation and Open Space Inventory (ROSI) of October 5, 2011, catalogues the “Total Acres of developed and partially developed lands” at 1,821.57 acres. This includes the miles of wonderful walking and bicycling macadam paths that criss-cross Hillsborough.
According to the recently released Frequently Asked Questions Pertaining to Open Space Referendum, “The Parks and Recreation Department currently maintains over 200 acres of open space/public parks. There are 9 dedicated staff members assigned to the daily maintenance of this land. The maintenance includes baseball, softball, football and soccer fields, playgrounds, tennis and basketball courts, ponds, picnic areas, nature trails and two pavilions.”
The township website produced the Parks and Recreation Parks Directory, a limited list of only 15 of our many parks which include fields for softball, baseball, soccer, lacrosse, tennis and basketball courts, playgrounds and tot-lots, paved and unpaved walking trails, picnic tables and areas, fishing ponds, a skate park, and a roller hockey rink.
Given the township’s own official inventory of acres of parks, trails, and ballfields, how is it possible that the Township Committee, former committee members, and their supporters keep saying that we need access to open space?
