Committee OKs November Open Space Rules Referendum

Hoping to follow through on a similar plan initiated by Somerset County several years ago, the Hillsborough Township Committee approved a referendum question Tuesday seeking to enable some of the open space tax proceeds be used for improvements to open space lands.

The vote followed almost two hours of public comments challenging the use of open space funds for ball fields or other active recreation.

"This is not a decision on what we want to do, this is a decision to put it before voters to see what they want to do," Mayor Frank DelCore said.

Representatives of preservation groups and residents spoke one after the other against the referendum ordinance, charging the wording of the referendum was too vague and that the process had been rushed in order to meet the filing deadline to the November ballots.
     
"As written, I think this ordinance is too general, not providing enough information for voters to make an education choice," resident Susan Gulliford said. "I'm talking to residents who think nice walking paths and trails, and I don't want to think we're looking at a luxury because it's an artificial turf field."

Nearly all of the residents speaking at the meeting said they were opposed to using any of the open space funds for active recreation projects (if the referendum should pass), but DelCore noted "parks are open space, too."

Deputy Mayor Doug Tomson also recounted having attended an Open Space Advisory Committee meeting and hearing discussions about the need for hiking trails, then sitting in at a Parks and Recreation meeting, where baseball coaches argued for more baseball fields.

Jennifer Coffey, policy director for the Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Association, said the committee should define "improvement" and "development" in the ordinance, since there terminology is so vague.

"I do think that your professionals would be able to provide that kind of assistance to clarify the language to insure that you are providing the kind of stewardship that you have in your mind for your open space," Coffey said.

The referendum voters will decide will read: "Shall the Township of Hillsborough modify and expand the uses and purposes of the Open Space Trust Fund to allow not more than 20% of the Open Space Trust Fund tax collected in any one year to be utilized for the development, or improvement of Park and Recreation Facilities that are located on property within the Open Space and Park inventory for recreation, conservation and general open space purposes?"

Somerset County modified its open space regulations to permit similar uses in 2005.