Somerset County closes on Hillsborough Golf Course, acquires more than 400 acres for preservation

Somerset County officials announced May 27 that the county has closed on the former Hillsborough Golf Course, acquiring more than 400 acres that will be preserved and transferred to the county parks division.

A commissioner said the land is "now safely in the Somerset County's hands" and described the acquisition as a "very large land acquisition" that will be planned carefully before the public is allowed on the site. "Please don't visit the site yet," the commissioner added, noting the county still needs to complete planning work before opening the property.

The county’s Open Space Advisory Board and county staff facilitated the acquisition, which the commissioner said will result in "400 plus acres of preserved" land. Officials said the county will take time to develop park plans in the public interest and asked residents to await future announcements about access and programming.

No purchase price or specific funding sources were stated during the report. Commissioners said they will provide further details at a future meeting when planning and next steps are ready to share.

The report was delivered as part of regular district updates during the May 27 work session; no formal action or vote was taken on the acquisition during the session because the transaction was already completed prior to the meeting.

County officials also announced new open-space-related grant programs and a walk/bike/hike grant that will be offered to municipalities to support trail planning and pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure; applications were expected to be released the same week.

The county asked the public to stay tuned for planning updates from the parks division and the Open Space Advisory Board.