Lower Columbia Fields: Hydric Soils, Green Acres Questions and Unclear Grants

As part of a records request in regard to the Lower Columbia project, an email to Ms. Viana, dated 3/30/26, from an NJDEP Public Land Compliance official concerning Union County’s Green Acres program raised many red flags.

Although the Recreation Project Manager and the Township have been saying that there will be “no change in use,” the letter suggests that the issue is not settled. The letter states that two lots, Lots 18 and 19 within Block 1204, are part of the Recreation and Open Space Inventory and the DEP official requests that the Township solicitor review the project in terms of compliance with DEP guidelines. Additionally, the email includes a formal request for clarification on whether the Township holds the land in fee simple, full, indefinite ownership, as the records on file reflected a lease agreement with the BOE that expired in 2005.

This means the last lease document reflected in DEP’s records expired roughly 21 years ago. With the Township’s own timeline showing a projected June 1, 2026 project start, the missing ownership or use-agreement documentation is not a minor paperwork question. It goes to whether the Township has clearly documented authority to move forward on the property.

This is especially notable because the Township’s own February update said Harbor’s environmentalist found hydric soils around the entire area, described hydric soil as an indication of wetlands and stated that NJDEP would “most certainly deny” an application to install a synthetic field. Because of that, the Township said it pivoted to a new natural turf field with drainage, irrigation, sod and lights.

In review of N.J.A.C. 7:36 – Green Acres Program, a “change in use of parkland” can include, among many other things, “construction of recreation and conservation facilities, such as athletic fields or playgrounds, on undeveloped parkland or an undeveloped portion of parkland.” The same section also includes exceptions for replacement, renovation or repair of existing facilities under certain circumstances, which makes the DEP/Green Acres review especially important here.

Additionally, Green Acres rules state that if a local government seeks to enter into or renew a lease or use agreement that would support or promote the use of parkland or a recreation facility, the local government must submit the proposed lease or agreement to the Department for approval at least 45 days before it intends to execute the lease or agreement. The document goes on to state that “any such lease or use agreement that is executed without the Department’s approval is void and of no legal effect.”

Being that the only document referenced in DEP’s records was an expired lease with the BOE, ending roughly 21 years ago, this raises a serious question: whether there is a later ownership, lease or use-agreement document that was not reflected in DEP’s records or not provided in response to the request.

The DEP rules also indicate that “the lease or agreement…of 25 years or more shall be deemed to constitute a conveyance of parkland and requires the approval of the Commissioner and the State House Commission under N.J.A.C 7:36-26.”

None of this proves the project is improper, but it does show that basic questions about Green Acres review, ownership, lease history and available funding remained unresolved in the records produced.

At NJ21st we are trying our best to follow the funds tied to the Lower Columbia project. Township materials listed the project as being funded 100% by grants, state appropriations and donations, with no funding match required. The listed sources totaled $756,000: $250,000 in State Appropriations, $150,000 from the Fiserv Community Improvement Fee, $71,000 from the 2024 Local Recreation Improvement Grant, $35,000 from the 2024 Union County Kids Recreation Grant and $250,000 from Connell.

On May 5, 2026, the Township also approved a budget amendment inserting $250,000 in revenue and a matching $250,000 appropriation for “Lower Columbia Project – Connell.” The resolution describes the amendment as being for the Lower Columbia Field and Park Revitalization Project.

However, the revenue audit trails provided for some of the listed funding sources raise additional questions. The 2024 Union County Kids Recreation Grant revenue account shows $0 in period revenue, year-to-date revenue and total revenue as of April 29, 2026. A separate revenue audit trail produced for the 2024 Local Recreation Improvement Grant also shows $0, although the account description is not clearly shown in the record. Meanwhile, the State Appropriations/Recreational Improvements 2025 revenue account shows $12,775 received against a $250,000 anticipated amount, leaving $237,225 not yet reflected as received in that ledger. That does not necessarily mean the grants or appropriations were not awarded, but it does raise a basic question about what money had actually been received, booked or otherwise made available before the project moved toward bid approval.

It appears that one of the donations identified in relation to Lower Columbia is from Fiserv. The Township has also now inserted the $250,000 Connell revenue and matching appropriation into the 2026 budget. Understanding where all of the actual money to break ground will come from remains a question as we continue to investigate and connect the dots.

The timing matters because the Township’s own project timeline listed bid closing for 05/05/2026, Council approval or acceptance of the bid for 05/19/2026, project start for 06/01/2026 and project completion for 12/01/2026.

Under the account for Local Area Improvement – Lower Columbia (G-02-28-370-600), the records show a $71,000 balance committed through Harbor contract activity for fees tied to contracts and surveys for Lower Columbia from the period between September 2025 through March of 2026. The paid check lines shown in the record total $18,000, while the account balance is reduced to zero through the Harbor contract activity.

Under Recreational Improvements 2025 (G-02-28-370-325), the original contract with Harbor, dated 12/16/25, is listed in the amount of $72,460. The record shows this as contract activity, not a direct payment line.

Taken together, the records show at least $104,920 in initial Harbor Consultants contract encumbrances across two accounts connected to the project: $32,460 under Local Area Improvement – Lower Columbia and $72,460 under Recreational Improvements 2025. Additional check lines for survey work continue to draw down the remaining balances. The records provided do not show all of that as paid out, but they do show substantial consulting and contract activity before the public has clear answers on Green Acres review, land control and which funding sources are actually in hand.

In August of 2024, a Fiserv donation/reimbursement connected to Lower Columbia was recorded under Donations to Lower Columbia (T-20-46-460-120) in the amount of $150,000.

Source Documents

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