Judge Denies Bridgewater's Request To Stop Work At Washington Valley Park

BRIDGEWATER, NJ — A judge has denied Bridgewater's request to try and stop Somerset County from continuing construction at Washington Valley Park, where the Township claims hundreds of trees were cut down last week.

On Friday, Somerset County Superior Court Judge Haekyoung Suh denied the Township's Complaint and Order to Show Cause, seeking temporary restraints against Somerset County and the County's Park Commission.

"Plaintiff’s request for temporary injunctive relief is denied for failure to demonstrate immediate and irreparable harm," said Suh.

The Township filed a lawsuit and an injunction against Somerset County after they claimed more than 300 trees were cut down at Washington Valley Park, despite contract documents authorizing the removal of only 37 trees for the construction of an "access road" between Vosseller Avenue and the Hawk Watch/White Rock area of the park.

The Township claims it was not provided with the requisite permits and authorization such as the Somerset-Union Soil Conservation District certification nor any NJDEP wetlands/LOI or Green Acres concurrence for the work undertaken.

Additionally, Bridgewater claimed the removal of hundreds of trees and erosion of soil will increase runoff and erode potential downslopes towards Vosseller Avenue and nearby systems. This is in the same area where the Township said they spent $1.1 million to reconstruct the western slope of Vosseller Avenue following Hurricane Ida, and contends the completed work is at risk of destruction.

"Plaintiff’s claim for temporary relief is mainly premised on the allegation of immediate and irreparable harm, however plaintiff has not adequately demonstrated such harm by clear and convincing evidence," wrote Suh in the denial.

"Plaintiff’s allegations of harm stem from the previous removal of trees that may lead to increased runoff and environmental hazards and the possibility that defendant will continue to remove trees. Such harms have either already happened or are too speculative of damages to constitute clear and convincing evidence of immediate and irreparable harm. While the potential danger of defendant’s tree removal is concerning to the public interest, the alleged harm has already occurred. Plaintiff has presented insufficient evidence to support that further removal of more trees is definite to result in imminent and irreparable harm. Plaintiff has not proven immediate and irreparable harm by clear and convincing evidence," continued Suh.

Somerset County told Patch that its long-standing policy is to refrain from commenting on issues connected with active litigation.

"However, due to misinformation being shared with residents, the County would like to clarify that Bridgewater was contacted in January 2025 with an overview of the project (letter below), and Bridgewater representatives additionally participated in the preconstruction meeting hosted in September 2025 (per their request)," according to Somerset County.

Washington Valley Park_New Entrance Vosseller Lane, Bridgewater, NJ_01!06!2025 Letter to Mayor Moench by Alexis Tarrazi

"We appreciate Judge Suh’s willingness to review this critical matter on an emergent basis, as well as her setting such a short time frame for the issue to be heard again. Unfortunately, the County continues to remove huge amounts of soil and sediment from the area every day, even further destabilizing a slope already known to be prone to dangerous flooding during storms. This ongoing operation may require us to return to the court soon," according to Bridgewater Township's statement.

"While we look forward to a judicial hearing in the next few weeks, we know this issue can’t wait that long for action. That’s why, as of today, Bridgewater has launched a petition, demanding immediate action and reparation from the Somerset County Board of Commissioners," said Mayor Matthew Moench.

Previous Reporting:

• Bridgewater Sues Somerset County Claiming 300 Trees Cut Down At Washington Valley Park
• Hundreds Of Trees Chopped Down At Washington Valley Park, Bridgewater Says

See Judge Suh's denial below:

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE WITH TEMPORARY RESTRAINTS - Denied by Alexis Tarrazi

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