The Hunterdon County Board of County Commissioners on Aug. 5 approved a series of municipal grants and open‑space acquisition awards as part of the county’s land preservation program.

Resolutions approved include a municipal grant to Delaware Township not to exceed $174,002.15 for rehabilitation and improvements to Dills Farm Park, and a $6,817.29 grant to Frenchtown Borough for debt service related to the Frenchtown Green Belt acquisition.

Under the county’s acquisition assistance program, the board approved a grant not to exceed $69,100 to acquire the Ponzini property (about 13 acres) in Raritan Township, and an acquisition assistance grant not to exceed $1,222,500 for two Stavola parcels totaling about 105 acres in Tewksbury Township. Commissioners moved and approved each measure by roll call.

During the public comment period, resident Paula Allentag of Ridge Road, Raritan Township, urged the board to consider preserving a separately identified parcel at 9 River Road in Raritan Township. Allentag said the parcel often floods, is in an O‑2 zone, and that nearby Ridge Road is a dead‑end with safety concerns if development would demand access from that road. She asked the board to act promptly if the property were being prepared for sale.

County staff told the board they would review current property‑sale information and that the county clerk’s office is updating software tools to help flag sales; the director said the clerk would be consulted in follow‑up communications.

The acquisitions and grants approved at the meeting were described by county staff as part of ongoing land‑preservation and municipal support programs and were presented with the grant amounts and acreage figures recorded in the resolutions.