Council approves land swap with county for rails-to-trails parcel after hours of public debate

A long public-comment segment focused on Ordinance 23-2026, a proposed land exchange that would transfer a portion of the township-adjacent Rails-to-Trails corridor to Burlington County in return for a separate county parcel inside Pemberton. Many residents — notably Michelle Foreman — urged the council to delay and asked detailed questions about what the county would do with the corridor, who would maintain it and whether the swap would remove the township's control of nearby trail access. "I don't trust the county," Foreman said, urging tabling until answers are available.

Supporters and council members said the county asked to finalize a long-standing proposal and that the county parcel under consideration had been underused and largely maintained by the township for years. Mayor Chris said the swap is not accompanied by any immediate plans to build on the newly acquired field: "There's no plans to build anything," he told residents, emphasizing the swap was intended to secure land the township now maintains. After discussion the council moved and voted to approve sending the ordinance to the next step; staff will finalize lot and block designations and coordinate the legal documentation with the county's attorneys.

Why it matters: The swap touches open-space stewardship, local control of the Rails-to-Trails corridor and long-term maintenance commitments; residents repeatedly asked for clearer guarantees about maintenance and public access before a permanent transfer.