Hillsborough Seeks Public Input On Open Space
- Township launched a new survey asking residents to identify and prioritize open space to protect in the Master Plan. - Feedback will help guide land preservation, recreational planning, and zoning decisions across Hillsborough's growing neighborhoods. - Officials encourage broad participation to shape future development priorities and secure funding opportunities (patch.com).
Hillsborough is asking residents to rank which open spaces should be protected as the township rewrites its Master Plan. (hillsboroughnj.gov) The open-space survey went live on April 16, 2026, on the township’s Engage Hillsborough platform, and officials said it is available in multiple languages. (hillsboroughnj.gov) Township staff said the questionnaire covers existing public and private land already treated as open space, land that could be targeted for future acquisition, and a plan to protect both current and future open space. The survey is scheduled to close on May 17, 2026. (hillsboroughnj.gov; tapinto.net) In New Jersey, a Master Plan is the municipality’s official long-range planning document, and Hillsborough says it guides land-use decisions and forms the legal foundation for the zoning ordinance and zoning map. (engagehillsboroughnj.org) Hillsborough says its current Master Plan was created in 1996, with periodic reexaminations since then, including a review in 2018. The township’s planning website lists the 1996 plan and a series of later amendments, including a land-use amendment adopted on Jan. 23, 2025. (engagehillsboroughnj.org; hillsboroughnj.gov) The open-space questionnaire is the third public survey in this update. Officials said earlier surveys asked for feedback on the plan’s goals and on land use. (hillsboroughnj.gov) The township launched Engage Hillsborough in August 2024 as its main public-input hub for the Master Plan update, saying the platform was meant to reach more residents and collect feedback “anytime, anywhere.” (patch.com) Open-space policy has already shaped recent land fights in Hillsborough. In October 2023, the Township Committee moved to acquire two parcels totaling about 28.71 acres on Amwell Road and Millstone River Road for $9.5 million after warehouse applications had been filed on both sites. (hillsborough-nj.org) Township officials said that 2023 purchase would be paid from the Open Space Trust Fund rather than the general tax levy. The new survey asks residents to help decide where similar preservation priorities should go next. (hillsborough-nj.org; hillsboroughnj.gov)
