As a child, I fondly recall that a few pennies went a long way, allowing me to buy more than my fair share of candy at the corner store. My friends and I realized that pooling our pennies meant we could buy even more candy.
Times have changed. But, believe it or not, a penny can still buy a lot.
For Edison Township residents, pooling their pennies will enable them to buy and preserve hundreds of acres of land for parks and open space. I can say this with confidence because it has already proven to be successful.
Edison first established an Open Space Trust Fund in 1999 to preserve and protect open spaces, environmental resources, and create new recreational facilities.
Funded with just one penny per $100 of assessed value, it cost typical property owners $17.84 per year. The Open Space Trust Fund helped Edison acquire and preserve 1,758 acres of land – roughly 9 percent of the town’s total land area.
These are places that Edison families routinely visit and enjoy, but may not realize how they became came to exist — places like Tingley Lane Park, Oak Tree Pond, Beaver Crossing Park, Oakcrest Swim Club and Kilmer Fields.
Why are neighborhood parks and open spaces so important? Aside from everyone’s enjoyment, the green spaces improve our environment by decreasing air pollution and reducing the need for stormwater treatment.
The original Edison Open Space Trust Fund expired in 2014. It is now time to renew the fund and a referendum question to do that will be on the Election Day’s ballot in Edison.
A “yes” vote on Nov. 6 will, once again, dedicate one penny per $100 of assessed value, to support municipal parks and open spaces. It will also allow Edison Township to seek matching state and county funds to buy and preserve more land, reducing housing density throughout the community.
The cost to property owners is minimal, but the benefit to everyone in the Edison community are immense.
Plain and simple, we need to pool our pennies. In return, Edison residents will receive the numerous benefits that public green spaces provide, more than anyone can imagine.
David Epstein
President, The Land Conservancy of New Jersey