Hillsborough Seeks Public Input On Open Space
- Hillsborough launched a new survey to gather public input on protecting open space for its Master Plan update. - The survey aims to identify priority parcels and preservation strategies as the township updates land-use policies. - Residents are encouraged to respond to guide future conservation decisions and funding priorities (patch.com).
Hillsborough is asking residents to rank open-space priorities in a new survey tied to the township’s Master Plan update. (patch.com) The survey is the third public questionnaire in the planning process and focuses on the Open Space and Recreation Plan, which guides how the township identifies land to preserve and where it may seek future acquisitions. (engagehillsboroughnj.org) Patch reported the survey was posted April 15, 2026, and the township set a May 17 deadline for responses. The questionnaire is available through the Engage Hillsborough platform in multiple languages. (patch.com) In New Jersey, a master plan is the planning board’s long-range policy document for land use, transportation, housing, conservation and other elements that shape zoning and public investment. Hillsborough’s Planning and Zoning Department has said the plan serves as a “roadmap” for future decisions. (patch.com) That matters in Hillsborough because the township’s planning documents already include a 1997 Open Space Plan, a 1998 open-space map and a 2007 Greenways Plan, and the current update can reset which parcels and strategies get priority next. (hillsborough-nj.org) The township began widening public outreach for the update in August 2024, when it launched Engage Hillsborough as an online participation hub built on PublicInput software. Mayor Robert Britting Jr. said at the time that public feedback was an “important part” of the Master Plan process. (hillsborough-nj.org) An earlier survey on the plan’s vision and goals closed before an October 30, 2024 informational session at the municipal court room, where staff said they would explain the plan’s elements and summarize initial findings. (hillsborough-nj.org) The township’s master plan archive shows the base plan dates to 1965 and has been amended repeatedly, including a land-use amendment adopted on January 23, 2025. The housing element was also updated in March 2023, with another draft introduced on June 12, 2025. (hillsborough-nj.org) This round is narrower: officials say they want residents to help identify existing open space, land that could be preserved later, and tools the township should use to protect those areas. The answers will feed into the next draft of Hillsborough’s long-range land-use policy. (patch.com)
