Officials Hope Bill Signing Still Occurs in Hillsborough

Though township officials expressed concern for Gov. Chris Christie’s health, they hope rescheduling today’s bill signing will still allow it to happen in Hillsborough.

Christie was expected to sign three open space and land preservation bills at Doyle’s Farm in Hillsborough Thursday, but was taken to Somerset Medical Center while being driven to the bill-signing event.

Christie was given an EKG and a chest X-ray, but no problems were found. Christie's complications were a result of his chronic asthma,  office representatives said during a press conference Thursday afternoon. 

“Obviously, we are all concerned by his health,” Mayor Gloria McCauley said. “I’ve been informed that he should be released later this evening.”

Though the township learned Christie would be signing the bills just on Wednesday, the cancellation was understandable, considering the situation, McCauley said.

“I can’t say anything about it being cancelled because it was health-related,” she said. “We hope it can be rescheduled and in Hillsborough.”

Now, the township—and Doyles, who needed to approve the use of their farm for the signing—will wait to hear if rescheduling the event will happen in town.

The bills would increase open space and land preservation funding throughout the state, including funds that would go toward projects in Hillsborough.

Those projects include Sourland Mountains aquaduct, where the township will receive part of the $550,000 allotted to the Delaware and Raritan Greenway Land Trust, $550,000 toward New Jersey Conservation Foundation projects that will involve the Black River Greenway, a portion of the $1 million marked for America Revolution sites, part of the $3 million for natural areas preservation for the Sourland Mountain, and a portion of the $12 million in “Blue Acres” money for Raritan River preservation.

The township currently has about 10,000 acres of preserved land, including the farm where the bill signed was scheduled.

“Hillsborough is so dominant in preserving open space and picking this beautiful spot to sign the bill,” McCauley said before the announcement on the governor’s health. “There are still older farmers here, and many farming families. It’s a part of what makes it such a great place to live.

Though the township hopes to add a nearby piece of farmland to the preserved area on Mill Lane, an approximate figure on open space and preservation spending was not available, Open Space Liaison Bob Wagner said.

“A lot of times, the acquisitions can take many years to move through,” Wagner said. “It just depends how quickly this moves through. Sometimes we are able to move through very quickly, and others take many years.”

Since the space does become available often—most is privately owned and designation is up to the owner—the township is trying to preserve open areas around the edges of town, Mayor McCauley said.

“We are constantly looking for it,” she said. “As long as we keep getting money, we are going to keep looking.”

The funding also allows farming families to continue a generations-long practice without worrying about development.

“It allows them to continue to farm their land,” Wagner said. “It won’t be developed, though they can lease it out. For a lot of farmers, it is their livelihood. Their parents and relatives are farmers, so they keep with the tradition.”

“Plus, it gives some great corn mazes in the fall,” he added.