Coventry Farm

The Great Road

165 acres

History:

19th century --  the Winant family buys the property.

1999 (October) – the Hillier Group had originally planned to develop 70 townhouses on the property; but the plan was opposed by local residents during a concept review by the Princeton Regional Planning Board.

May 2001  (May)   --  negotiations were completed to preserve Coventry Farm as permanent open space.

Twenty-seven acres on the west side of the Great Road have been purchased, for use by the Princetons as recreational space (athletic fields) and as open space.

Twenty-eight acres on the east side of the Great Road, directly north of the existing Mountain Lakes municipal park, will be deeded to Princeton Township and added to the Mountain Lakes park to form a greenway.

Ninety acres are placed in a perpetual conservation easement, for use only as a farm by the Winant family, or as open space (but without public access).

The Farm was purchased by the Delaware and Raritan Greeenway. Of the purchase price of $9.5 million, over $3 million is being provided by public funds: $1 million from Princeton Township, $350,000 from Princeton Borough, matched by $1.5 million from the state, and $0.5 million from Mercer County. Remaining funds are being raised from private donors. A path along the southern boundary of the property will connect The Great Road to the Mountain Lakes preserve.

(Source: Princeton Environmental Commission: Current Topics; http://www.princetontwp.org/environcurr_topics.html)

The Friends of Princeton Open Space contributed $100,000 for the Coventry Farm project.

Source: "Friends toast $1 millon -donation milestone." Packet Online. 10/15/2002. http://www.pacpub.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=5710995&BRD=1091&PAG=461&dept_id=346950&rfi=8

Trails:

map at: http://www.njtrails.org/trailmap.php?TrailID=16