Edison council members on Sept. 8 renewed discussion about creating a nature-and-science center at the Peter J. Barnes Preserve, a large township-owned tract that council members and commissioners said could host educational exhibits, nature programming and revenue-generating activities.

A council member said the preserve comprises hundreds of acres and noted past efforts to assemble property boundaries. “The next step and the vision has always been to create a state of the art nature preserve, nature center at the preserve,” the council member said, adding that the idea had been discussed for years and that the township might be able to offset some program costs with revenues.

The council vice president cautioned about an environmental constraint: a township-owned property at 205 Tyler Road sits near a Superfund site and needs evaluation before any development there. She suggested that the preserve’s location and trailheads could host smaller education facilities if environmental remediation and logistics allow.

Why it matters: Council members described opportunities for local environmental education, school programming and possible revenue generation but emphasized the need for environmental review because of nearby contamination concerns.

Next steps: Council members urged continued review with the environmental commission and township staff to identify suitable sites within the preserve, assess remediation or mitigation needs, and advance planning steps.