Phillip Sean Curran, Staff Writer
Princeton will acquire the 142-acre Herrontown Woods Arboretum from Mercer County in a deal announced Monday.
The agreement needs to be approved by the Princeton Council, County Freeholders and the state, the county said in a news release announcing what it called a “land transfer.” Mayor Liz Lempert said the genesis of the deal stemmed from the county wanting “to concentrate its efforts on its main parkland.”
In terms of costs, Lempert called the amount “minimal” and said the bulk of the work is being done by a nonprofit group, Friends of Herrontown Woods. She said the group maintains the trails.
For its part, the group said on its web site that it looks “forward to working with the town to make Herrontown Woods and its cultural legacy a great asset for Princeton.”
“I appreciate the efforts of Mayor Lempert and other Princeton officials in working with us to set a course for this special piece of property,” County Executive Brian M. Hughes said in the news release.
He said the town has been managing the woods since 2011.
The property used to be privately owned but was donated to the county. It contains an old house and other structures, which appear to have been saved from the wrecking ball.
“We would be working with the Friends of Herrontown Woods to develop some sort of agreement where they would take responsibility for the buildings,” Lempert said.
The deal between the county and the town says the county must do ground water tests and soil remediation, and provide the town $85,000 for what it said was “potential demolition of the structures located on the property.”
