Princeton officials have taken ownership of the 90-acre Lanwin Development Corp. tract on the environmentally sensitive Princeton Ridge.
The purchase was completed Dec. 30, 2024, according to a Jan. 30 press release. The heavily wooded parcel had been threatened by development for many years.
The Lanwin Development Corp. property is on the Princeton/Montgomery Township border. It is bounded by Montgomery, Herronton and Mount Lucas roads and Herrontown Lane.
The parcel is adjacent to the Herrontown Woods and Autumn Hill Reservation preserved properties, which form the last great forest in Princeton.
The Municipality of Princeton paid $9 million for the tract – which will become public open space – through a combination of public and private funding.
The town contributed $1.79 million from its Open Space Trust Fund and $1.29 million from its Green Acres fund.
Private funding was raised through a consortium that included the Watershed Institute, the Friends of Princeton Open Space, the Ridgeview Conservancy and the New Jersey Conservation Foundation.
Additional funding included $1.95 million from the New Jersey Environmental Protection’s Green Acres program; $1.6 million from Mercer County’s Open Space Preservation Assistance program; and $500,000 in direct funding from Mercer County.
Also, private donations totaling $860,000 were made in fundraising efforts led by the Watershed Institute, and a $1 million gift from the Estate of Bryce Thompson IV to the Friends of Princeton Open Space. Thompson was a principal in the Lanwin Development Corp.
The Lanwin Development Corp. had been seeking approval for several years to subdivide the 90-acre parcel into 29 building lots for single-family homes. The latest plan showed development on 23 acres in a cluster design. The rest of the heavily wooded property would have been preserved as open space.
Previous applications before the Princeton Planning Board included a luxury housing development, a country club, light industry, a shopping center and an elementary school.
Princeton Council President Mia Sacks and former Princeton Councilwoman Eve Niedergang worked with Municipal Administrator Bernard Hvozdovic to put together the private and public funding.
“In a state where land preservation opportunities are especially rare, it is imperative that we work collaboratively to save vital ecological resources,” Sacks said.
The Lanwin Development Corp. property consists of old-growth forests, wetlands, vernal (seasonal) ponds, streams and critical habitats for endangered species.
Preserving the land and its ecosystems leads to carbon sequestration, natural flood mitigation, improved water quality and stormwater management, Sacks said.
Mercer County Executive Dan Benson said he was proud that Mercer County played a pivotal role in helping to purchase the Lanwin tract. It demonstrates the achievements that can be made through collaboration between every level of government, he said.
Princeton Open Space Manager Inga Reich said the purchase is a lasting investment in the town’s future. It ensures that residents can enjoy the physical and mental well-being that the preserved woods will provide for many years to come.
The property will be integrated into a larger network of walkable and bikeable public trails as part of Princeton’s plan to connect green spaces.
