Somerset County’s Preservation Plan is a First of its Kind

Four Public Meetings Planned to Incorporate Feedback from Residents

SOMERVILLE, NJ – Somerset County is considered to be the first county to incorporate three individual plans – Open Space, Farmland and Historic Preservation – into its overall, encompassing Preservation Plan. In so doing, the Somerset County Planning Division was able to create comprehensive and integrated strategies that identify land use, funding and partnership opportunities that will allow the County to achieve is preservation goals and ensure high quality of life for all.

The Somerset County Preservation Plan has been posted on the county’s website at www.co.somerset.nj.us/PresPlan21.  Public feedback is being sought before the plan can be formally adopted. 

“We are proud to be one of the first counties to combine Open Space, Farmland and Historic Preservation into its Preservation Plan. Our Planning Division has done an amazing job, and now we want to hear from the public to make sure that our plan meets the needs of the entire community,” said Commissioner Director Shanel Robinson.  “Because we are better when we work together, we are asking residents, visitors and our planning partners to review the plan and provide feedback at one of four virtual public meetings in September.”

The virtual public meetings will be held:

• Wednesday, Sept. 22 – 10 a.m.
• Tuesday, Sept. 28 – 2 p.m.
• Thursday, Sept. 30 – 6:30 p.m.
• Tuesday, Oct. 5 – 6:30 p.m.

Register for one of the Zoom public meetings at: https://bit.ly/PublicMtg21.

The goal of the Somerset County’s new Preservation Plan is to:

• Establish guidelines for the preservation of open space in patterns that enhance and provide greater access to greenways, trails, natural areas and parks.
• Encourage county policies that protect and reinforce farming as both an economic activity and base.
• Maintain county-owned historic properties, create incentive programs and protection measures that preserve the county’s historic resources, and lead Somerset County’s celebration of the 250^th anniversary of the Revolutionary War.
• Encourage cooperation and collaboration across sectors to achieve the individual goals listed above.

For more information about this project, please contact PreservationPlan@co.somerset.nj.us.

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