[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Chosen Freeholders of Mercer
County as Ch. 2.22 of the 2003 Mercer County Code (Ord. No. 89-32). Amendments noted where applicable.]
[Pursuant to P.L. 2020, c. 67, effective 1-1-2021, the Code
of Mercer County has been amended to delete the term “Board
of Chosen Freeholders” and replace it with the term “Board
of County Commissioners.” In addition, the terms “Freeholder”
and “Chosen Freeholder” have been deleted and replaced
by the term “County Commissioner.”]
[Amended by Ord. No. 90-13; Ord. No. 94-7; 10-22-2019 by Ord. No. 2019-5]
There is created an Open Space Preservation Board pursuant to
Public Law 1989, Chapter 30, as amended and supplemented, which shall
consist of 10 members to be appointed by the County Executive with
the advice and consent of the Board of County Commissioners. The members
shall include:
A.
County Executive or his representative;
B.
Park Commission representative;
C.
Planning Board representative;
D.
Historical/Cultural Commission representative;
E.
State Green Acres representative, who shall be a nonvoting member;
F.
County Agricultural Development Board representative;
G.
Citizen representative from urban area (Trenton);
H.
Citizen representative from Piedmont area (Ewing, Lawrence, Hopewell
Township, Hopewell Borough, Pennington);
I.
Citizen representative from the Millstone Basin area (Princeton,
East Windsor, West Windsor, Hightstown);
J.
Citizen representative from the Assunpink Basin area (Washington
and Hamilton).
Members shall serve without compensation but shall be entitled
to reimbursement for expenses actually and necessarily incurred in
the performance of their duties.
Members shall serve for terms of five years.
The Board shall have the following powers and duties:
A.
Make recommendations to the County Executive regarding the overall
administration of the County open space acquisition program established
pursuant to Public Law 1989, Chapter 30, as amended and supplemented;
[Amended 10-22-2019 by Ord. No. 2019-5]
B.
Prepare a park, recreation and open space plan for adoption by the
County;
C.
Develop and recommend to the County Executive a system to prioritize
the selection of open space areas for acquisitions. The system to
include:
(1)
Consideration of existing municipal, County and state plans
including the County growth management plan and the State Development
and Redevelopment Plan;
(2)
The identification of geographic areas for acquisitions based
on established criteria;
(3)
The identification of the type of land to be acquired for open
space.
D.
Develop and recommend to the County Executive a funding assistance
program which may include:
(1)
A percentage of funds to be used for County debt service payments
on indebtedness issues for acquisitions of open space (may be state
Green Acres debt or other program);
(2)
A percentage of funds to be used as matching funds in conjunction
with other preservation and open space acquisition programs;
(3)
A percentage of funds to be used to assist municipalities in
the acquisition of open space of regional significance;
E.
The County open space acquisition program shall be administered by
the County Planning Division in the office of the County Executive.
The Planning Division is to provide staff support to the Board.
