Politics & Government
Bridgewater, County Partner to Conserve Land Along River
Measure would preserve property in forgotten section of Bridgewater.
Bridgewater and Somerset County are partnering to conserve a sensitive section of land next to the Raritan River in Bradley Gardens.
The Township Council introduced an ordinance on Monday night to spend $775,000 to purchase conservation easements on more than 20 lots on Edgewater Avenue. Half of the price will be reimbursed by the county.
Most residents of Bridgewater do not know where Edgewater Avenue is. In fact, most people who live in Bradley Gardens don’t know either..
Edgewater Avenue is at the end of Robert Street, the narrow road that crosses the canal over a narrower bridge. Robert Street finds its way to the Raritan River, past the clubhouse of the Dawn Patrol Motorycle Club and Price Auto Wreckers, that some people treasure for its selection of used auto parts and others call it a junkyard.
Edgewater Avenue is also part of the ambitious Raritan River Greenway, a Somerset County project to construct a bike and pedestrian path along the river from Duke Island Park to Somerville and beyond.
The affected property will be preserved for open space (though it’s heavily forested) and passive recreation.
Bridgewater’s share of the acquisition will be funded through the township’s Open Space Trust Fund
