By John Tredrea, Staff Writer
Plans for a rustic, 1,700-acre “ecologically based community park,” most of it in Hopewell Township, were unveiled by Mercer County officials last week.
The park, to be called Mercer Meadows, will be formed by combining Rosedale Park, the Mercer County Equestrian Center and Mercer County Park Northwest, which in itself is 800 acres in size and bisected by Hopewell and Lawrence townships. Rosedale Park and the Equestrian Center are both wholly in Hopewell Township.
About $1.2 million in improvements are planned, most of them on what is now Mercer County Park Northwest, which still is largely in the condition it was in when the county purchased it from AT&T in the mid-1990s. This park area was dubbed the “pole farm” years ago because of the many wired poles AT&T used on the tract to send long-distance telephone calls around the world.
Trails, solar-powered rest areas, a rain garden to control stormwater runoff, wildlife blinds that would allow visitors to view animals in the park without disturbing them, a bird observation tower and an astronomy viewing area are planned for what is now Mercer County Park Northwest.
This park also is traversed by a portion of the Lawrence-Hopewell Trail. About half complete, the LHT is a 20-mile loop connecting Lawrence and Hopewell townships. The LHT runs north-south through the park.
Also planned for the Mercer County Park Northwest area is another north-south trail running the length of the park as well as several smaller trails.
The plans were outlined at a public meeting of the Mercer County Park Commission, held at the clubhouse of the county golf course in Ewing.
About 50 people attended, including County Executive Brian Hughes. The plans are being developed by the Highland Park-based firm of ETM Associates, headed by Tim Marshall, who was the deputy administrator of Central Park in New York City for 14 years.
Under the plans for Mercer Meadows, parking areas would be improved and expanded on a small scale at what is now Rosedale Park, the Equestrian Center and Mercer County Park Northwest. The three parks are adjacent to one another in eastern Hopewell Township and western Lawrence Township.
Mr. Hughes said the county scrapped, years ago, all notions of building ball fields, golf courses and the like on the lands slated for Mercer Meadows.
”This had to be a passive recreation area,” he said. “We’re not going to over-improve it. It’s a very unique place in Mercer County. Either alone or with others, you can experience absolute silence there. It’s a great experience.”
Parks Commission Chairman Kevin Bannon said Mercer Meadows also would include a dog park where owners could let their pooches off the leash. County residents have been asking for such a facility, he said.
Mr. Bannon said the county already has most of the $1.2 million needed for the improvements outlined at the meeting. He said he would be conferring with the Board of Chosen Freeholders soon on getting the rest of the money for the work.
Nearing completion, Mr. Bannon said, is the restoration of the historic Hunt House in what is now Rosedale Park. A visitors center and offices for the park commission will be there, he said.
Eleanor Horne, co-president of the LHT, hailed the Mercer Meadows plan enthusiastically.
”What an incredible job you have done,” she said.
Hopewell Township Parks and Recreation Director Judy Niederer agreed, saying she was “very excited” about the plans and glad they included a connection to the Twin Pines recreation area, located across Federal City Road from the southern tip of what is now Mercer County Park Northwest.
Lawrence Township resident Dolores Phillips, who lives near Mercer County Park Northwest, said the decision to leave the lands largely in their natural state is the right move to make.
”I applaud your decision to maintain the eco-system and grasslands,” she said.
She added, “There are magic moments to be had out there, at twilight in the silence when the lightning bugs come out and mist comes up, and you’re surrounded by wildflowers.”

