Fourth Phase of Pompton Riverwalk Project Complete

The Township of Pequannock and The Land Conservancy of New Jersey are pleased to announce the completion of the fourth phase of the Pompton Riverwalk. 16 homes have now been purchased in the floodway, 14 of which have been removed to make way for the Riverwalk - a public walking path along the Pompton River.

This novel concept of removing people and property from harm’s way and replacing them with public recreation opportunities has been recognized by Morris County, which is rearranging its Open Space Preservation Trust to encourage more projects like Pequannock’s Pompton Riverwalk.The addition of over two acres of preserved land to the project brings the multi-phase floodplain protection and land preservation project one step closer to completion. This open space and flood mitigation project protects residents and provides flood storage, open space, and public access to the Pompton River for future generations.

The Weir property (0.3 acres) on Pequannock Avenue was purchased in December 2011, making it the final property in Phase IV. Other properties include the former Gidi property on North Pequannock Avenue (0.3 acres), the Shudtz property on Riverside Drive (0.3 acres), the Berkshire property on Harrison Road (0.6 acres), the Hunt property on Riverside Drive (0.3 acres), and the Soldatenkov property on Pequannock Avenue (0.2 acres).

With the acquisition of the last home on one street in Pequannock, the Township no longer has to send boats in to rescue and evacuate residents during floods. This program has been extremely well received by desperate and flood weary residents on some of Pequannock’s hardest hit streets. “This is another step of the larger Riverwalk buyouts projects,” explained Frank Spizzirri, Chairman of the Pequannock Township Open Space Advisory Committee and lead advocate for this project.

“This program has also provided homeowners the opportunity to be removed from the floodway, which just recently had waters in excess of 10 feet high on the property. Hurricane Irene caused the worst flooding in town since 1902, even worse than 1984. The owner's are very excited about the buyout and are searching for a new place in town to settle out of the flood area.”

The Pompton Riverwalk is a multi-phase project which began six years ago under the leadership of Pequannock Township and the Pequannock Township Open Space Advisory Committee, with the expert assistance and consultation of The Land Conservancy of New Jersey. Homes around the banks of the Pompton River, as well as the riparian corridor have long suffered from flooding. Rather than continuing in the old model of flood, rescue and rebuild, Pequannock Township officials and the Open Space Advisory Committee decided to pursue a different and extremely beneficial flood protection strategy.

The Land Conservancy of New Jersey is working with the Township of Pequannock in the development and expansion of this Blueway program to provide flood protection for severely impacted residences and private property, while creating new public recreation opportunities in the community. This program targets the most flood prone homes and streets in the municipality.

“Pequannock Township, with the assistance of Morris County and the State, has been at the forefront of preserving flood prone properties as open space in New Jersey,” explained Gregory Collins, Land Preservation Specialist with The Land Conservancy of New Jersey. “The success of the Pompton Riverwalk project is the result of a well-planned strategy to convert these flood prone residences to an interconnected park system along the river for the enjoyment of current and future Township residents, and will also reduce the Township’s emergency and cleanup costs following future major flooding in the area.”

The Morris County Board of Chosen Freeholders, with the support of the County Open Space Committee, has funded Pequannock Township’s annual requests for grant funds for the Pompton Riverwalk project. The Township and Conservancy are now entering Phase V of the Riverwalk. Since its initial grant request for this project, the Township has received $1,837,900 in grant funding from Morris County for the Riverwalk project and has matched this with funds provided through Green Acres totaling $1,743,600.

Since 2003 The Land Conservancy of New Jersey has permanently protected 1,519 acres in towns located in the floodplain of the Passaic River. Much of this land is now owned and managed by the State of New Jersey, and it functions as it was meant to – to hold waters from severe storms and provide protection to neighboring residents from floods.

The January 2011 report to the Governor from the Passaic River Basin Flood Advisory Commission identified goals which included expanding and expediting property buyouts and preservation of the flood storage area, among the fifteen recommendations provided to the Governor. By working with The Land Conservancy, the Township accelerated the success of its conservation and flood protection program.

160 Acres Preserved in Frelinghuysen Township

The Land Conservancy of New Jersey, Frelinghuysen Township, Warren County, and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection are pleased to announce the preservation of over 160 acres of forested land in the heart of the municipality. A priority of the Township’s Open Space Committee and governing body, the purchase and preservation of the properties straddling Route 94 and Lincoln Laurel Road will permanently protect the forest and create an opportunity for trails and hiking in the municipality.

A joint project of the Township, County and the State of New Jersey, this project was successfully negotiated and brought to a close through the work and effort of The Land Conservancy of New Jersey, in partnership with the Township.

“The preservation of this undisturbed habitat will allow us to enjoy the continued existence of native species at their best,” states Robin Randolph, Chair of Frelinghuysen Township’s Open Space Committee. She continues, “Frelinghuysen Township is grateful to the Warren County Board of Chosen Freeholders and New Jersey Green Acres for their generous support of this project. Without them, this preservation effort would not have been possible.”

“Once slated for development, the Frelinghuysen Forest Preserve is a wonderful piece of property and Warren County is thrilled that we could help permanently protect it,” explains Corey J. Tierney, Esq., on behalf of The Warren County Department of Land Preservation. “Not only is the 160 acre Preserve easily accessible, but it boasts a beautiful forest with small streams and an existing network of trails leading back to a picturesque pond. The property will be managed by the Township using local volunteers. This will be a tremendous open space resource for all Warren County’s residents. It is great to see municipalities, like Frelinghuysen Township, taking ownership of these critical natural areas.”

Corey continued, “It takes a lot of hard work by many different people to bring these projects together. We worked closely with the Frelinghuysen Township Open Space Committee and The Land Conservancy of New Jersey who coordinated this acquisition with grants obtained from Green Acres and Warren County’s Municipal and Charitable Conservancy Trust Fund. The County’s participation, of course, was made possible by our Chosen Board of Freeholders - who deserves special thanks for continuing to support local open space preservation.”

The Frelinghuysen Forest Preserve is comprised of two properties owned by relatives who sold the properties together for preservation. This Preserve will offer hiking trails, bird watching platforms, and will be a classroom in nature for recreational hikers, school children and scout groups. This Preserve is large enough to host a large trails network Habitat for sensitive species, springs, seeps and headwater streams make these properties valuable for natural resource protection. The Preserve can be easily accessed from existing driveways on State Route 94 and Lincoln Laurel Road.