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 a matching grant, so it conceivably cost $650,000 to widen, you call them trails, the sidewalks at Kennedy Park.”

Why it matters: The Green Acres grant would pay to widen the paved pedestrian route that circles Kennedy Park’s lakes from its current width (cited in the meeting as about 4 feet) to 10 feet, according to staff answers during public comment. Residents and commenters framed the choice as one between (a) investing in wider park sidewalks and (b) preserving undeveloped open space adjacent to the park.

What officials said: When asked where the borough’s matching $325,000 would come from, the Business Administrator said the funding would likely be included in the capital plan and capital fund once the budget is finalized, noting the borough was operating under a temporary budget at the time. The mayor told the meeting the owner of the adjacent 40 acres had responded that he had no desire to sell the property. In response to Robinson’s appraisal comparison, the mayor said he had run the appraisal by local builders who questioned the appraisal value and pointed to a recent local sale as context.

Public reaction and council action: Public commenters repeatedly said residents would prefer permanent open-space preservation of the 40 acres over pathway widening. The council voted on the consent agenda that included the resolution accepting the Green Acres grant; the motion to approve the consent agenda was carried on a roll-call vote. (The public record in the meeting includes the resolution number and the grant amount; formal budget sources for the borough match were described as “to be placed in the capital fund/capital plan.”)

Clarifying details from the meeting: the grant award cited in public comment was $325,000 (grant); council discussion characterized it as a matching grant that would make the project total approximately $650,000 if the borough provides an equal match; public commenters identified an appraisal for roughly 40 acres adjacent to Kennedy Park at $590,000; staff indicated the paved pathway around the lakes would be widened from about 4 feet to 10 feet under the project; the borough was operating under a temporary budget and said the match would be handled in the capital plan/capital fund.

What’s next: The resolution was adopted as part of the consent agenda; the borough has not announced a finalized funding source for the local match or any follow-up acquisition discussions beyond the mayor’s statement that the property owner did not wish to sell.

Sources and attribution: Direct quotes and details above come from public comments and staff responses recorded during the February 2025 Mayor and Borough Council meeting of Sayreville. Jim Robinson spoke during public comment; the Business Administrator and the mayor also addressed funding and the property owner’s position.