Cranbury family fighting to keep 175-year-old farm files challenges against township's eminent domain application
On Friday evening, Cranbury Housing Associates, along with the Henry family, filed challenges to the Affordable Housing Dispute Resolution Program on the township’s application to use eminent domain to seize the farm.
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The owners who are fighting to keep their 175-year-old family farm in Cranbury Township are optimistic after a nonprofit organization stepped in with solutions.
On Friday evening, Cranbury Housing Associates, along with the Henry family, filed challenges to the Affordable Housing Dispute Resolution Program on the township’s application to use eminent domain to seize the farm.
Cranbury Housing Associates is a nonprofit that has developed affordable housing exclusively in the township for 60 years. The organization has helped the town meet its affordable housing obligations. The organization recently identified three sites it says are viable: a two-family home that would be converted to affordable, another site that would hold 20 units, and third site that would hold 64 units.
The organization's Mark Berkowsky says the sites that were identified are more suitable for families.
“We meet the needs, putting the housing in the right place and it’s small little areas, not three big buildings,” Berkowsky said.
Former Cranbury Township Mayor Jay Taylor has advocated for the Henry farm from the beginning.
"Now it becomes the situation of is the township committee living up to what they say. Do they really want to build an inclusive development where the kids and the families feel included, or do they want to build an isolationist development?" Taylor said.
The Henry’s are still not in the clear just yet. Andy Henry said they have an appraisal coming up next week with the township which is the next steps in the eminent domain process.
The attorneys for both the Henry family and the township will then go before a judge Sept. 5.
