$108M Will Create More Parks And Playgrounds In These NJ Towns, Counties (See The List)

Some of New Jersey’s most densely populated areas will be getting a big funding boost to create more parks and recreation spaces.

A recently approved bill will use nearly $108 million from the state’s corporate business tax and Green Acres funding to fuel conservation efforts across New Jersey.

Lt. Gov. Tahesha Way signed S4567/A5860 earlier this month after it cleared votes in the state Senate and Assembly. Here’s what the legislation will do, according to its sponsors:

“The legislation prioritizes projects in urban aid municipalities and densely populated communities where recreational space is often limited and urgently needed. Specifically, the bill appropriates $107,999,000 from constitutionally dedicated corporation business tax revenues and various Green Acres funds to assist local government units to acquire, develop, and conduct planning activities related to lands for recreation and conservation purposes, and for certain administrative expenses.”

Assemblywoman Carmen Morales (NJ-34) called it “one of those commonsense bills.”

“When speaking to the mayors, local officials, and community members in my district, it was evident that we needed to focus on improving recreation infrastructure in order for our students to continue thriving not just in the classroom, but also in their after-school activities as well,” Morales said.

“Parks, playgrounds and recreational spaces are the bedrock on which our communities flourish,” said another sponsor of the bill, Assemblyman Balvir Singh (NJ-7).

“These spaces allow neighbors to connect, children to grow, and families to build lasting memories,” Singh said.

According to a statement from the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee, about $102.68 million will be used by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) to provide grants and/or loans to acquire or develop lands for “recreation and conservation purposes.” Another $3 million will be used to power a new planning grant program, and $2.32 million will be used to cover the NJDEP’s associated administrative costs.

The list of projects approved by the bill include several located in “urban aid” and densely or highly populated municipalities and counties. The bill defines a “densely or highly populated municipality” as a municipality with a population density of at least 5,000 persons per square mile or a population of at least 35,000 persons; a “densely populated county” as a county with a population density of at least 5,000 persons per square mile; and a “highly populated county” as a county with a population density of at least 1,000 persons per square mile.

ELIGIBLE LOCAL PROJECTS

The following planning incentive acquisition projects to acquire lands for recreation and conservation purposes are eligible for funding (article continues below):

The following projects to acquire lands for recreation and conservation purposes, located in municipalities eligible to receive state aid pursuant to P.L.1978, c.14 (C.52:27D-178 et seq.) either as of June 30, 2021 or the effective date of this act, or sponsored by densely populated counties, are eligible for funding:

The following site-specific incentive acquisition projects to acquire lands for recreation and conservation purposes are eligible for funding:

The following projects to develop lands for recreation and conservation purposes, located in municipalities eligible to receive state aid pursuant to P.L.1978, c.14 (C.52:27D-178 et seq.) either as of June 30, 2021 or the effective date of this act, or sponsored by densely populated counties, are eligible for funding:

The following projects to develop lands for recreation and conservation purposes, located in densely or highly populated municipalities or sponsored by highly populated counties, are eligible for funding:

The following standard park development projects are eligible for funding:

The following projects for stewardship activities are eligible for funding:

The following projects for completely inclusive playgrounds, pursuant to section 4 of P.L.2018, c.104 (C.13:8C3 27.1), are eligible for funding:

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