The saga of Andy’s Farm in Cranbury is making national news and “Fourth Round” affordable housing plan deadline is looming; one New Jersey county is responding by trying to limiting the risk of future farmland seizures in North Jersey.
On Wednesday night, the Warren County Board of County Commissioners adoped the resolution posted below declaring that the county government “opposes, by all lawful means, any affordable-housing or COAH-related project proposed by a municipality that relies on eminent domain to condemn active or preserved farmland for residential development that is not primarily affordable housing.”
Warren is also directing its lawyers, boards, and planners to assist municipalities in “seeking alternatives to farmland condemnation.”
Check it out:
THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
OF THE COUNTY OF WARREN
Wayne Dumont, Jr. Administration Building
165 County Route 519, South
Belvidere, NJ 07823
RESOLUTION
On a motion by None, seconded by None, the following resolution was adopted by the Board of County Commissioners of the County of Warren at a meeting held June 25, 2025.
WHEREAS, agriculture is a foundational element of Warren County’s economy, culture, and landscape; and
WHEREAS, Warren County has invested substantial public funds in farmland preservation and open-space initiatives to safeguard this irreplaceable resource for future generations; and
WHEREAS, the New Jersey Constitution and the Right to Farm Act recognize the special status of agriculture and the public interest in protecting working farms; and
WHEREAS, the Council on Affordable Housing (COAH) framework, as interpreted by the New Jersey Supreme Court in the Mount Laurel line of cases, assigns municipalities a constitutional obligation to provide realistic opportunities for the construction of affordable housing; and
WHEREAS, some municipalities have pursued satisfaction of their Mount Laurel obligations by invoking the power of eminent domain to condemn productive farmland for residential developments; and
WHEREAS, the use of farmland condemnation for affordable-housing, erodes the agricultural base that sustains local food systems, and imposes permanent harm on the rural character of Warren County; and
WHEREAS, the County of Warren believes that the creation of affordable housing should be in appropriate locations such as redevelopment areas, brownfields, underutilized commercial corridors, or other sites that do not require the loss of working farms; and
WHEREAS, the preservation of farmland and the provision of affordable housing need not be mutually exclusive goals, and thoughtful planning can and should advance both;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Board of County Commissioners of the County of Warren, State of New Jersey, that:
- Policy Opposition:
The County of Warren opposes, by all lawful means, any affordable-housing or COAH-related project proposed by a municipality that relies on eminent domain to condemn active or preserved farmland for residential development that is not primarily affordable housing.- Legal and Administrative Actions:
The County Counsel may be authorized to investigate and, when appropriate, pursue or join legal actions, file friend-of-the-court briefs, or take other measures aimed at preventing the condemnation of farmland for such projects.- Coordination with Municipalities:
County planning and agricultural boards shall provide technical assistance to municipalities seeking alternatives to farmland condemnation, emphasizing infill development, adaptive reuse, and other smart-growth strategies.- Legislative Advocacy:
The Board urges the Governor and the Legislature to amend state affordable-housing laws and eminent-domain statutes to protect productive farmland from seizure.BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, a certified copy of this resolution shall be transmitted to the Governor of New Jersey, the President of the New Jersey Senate, the Speaker of the General Assembly, the Commissioner of the Department of Community Affairs, the Secretary of Agriculture, the New Jersey State Agriculture Development Committee, the New Jersey Association of Counties, the New Jersey League of Municipalities, and every municipality within Warren County.
ROLL CALL: James Kern III, Lori Ciesla, Jason Sarnoski
I hereby certify the above to be a true copy of a resolution adopted by the Board of County Commissioners of the County of Warren on the date above mentioned.
_______________________________, Clerk
Alex J. Lazorisak
