Sayreville council accepts $325,000 Green Acres grant for Kennedy Park path; residents urge purchase of adjacent 40 acres

The Mayor and Borough Council of Sayreville voted in February 2025 to accept a $325,000 grant from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Green Acres Program to fund Kennedy Park path improvements, a matching grant that borough officials said would require a roughly $325,000 local match.

The resolution authorizing submission and acceptance of the grant (identified in the public comments as “20 25 67”) drew extended public comment asking the borough to prioritize purchasing approximately 40 acres adjacent to Kennedy Park rather than widening existing park pathways. Jim Robinson of Parlin, a member of the public speaking during the open-comment period, said the adjoining 40 acres had an appraisal of $590,000 and argued the borough should consider acquisition instead of a $650,000 total project cost to widen sidewalks. Robinson said: “This is for the widening. … So and this is a so we're accepting $325,000, and that's…