Comprehensive Farmland Preservation Plan Raritan Township Hunterdon County, NJ March 2021 Raritan Township Comprehensive Farmland Preservation Plan Contents INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................... 1 Vision Statement ......................................................................................................................... 2 Goals and Objectives ................................................................................................................... 2 I. RARITAN TOWNSHIP AGRICULTURAL LAND BASE ...................................................................... 3 Location and Size of Agricultural Land Base ...................................................................................... 3 Soil Types and Their Characteristics .................................................................................................. 5 Water Resources and Irrigated Acres ................................................................................................ 9 Farmland Assessment and Census of Agriculture Statistics and Trends ......................................... 11 II. RARITAN TOWNSHIP AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRY .................................................................... 16 Hunterdon County Crop Production ................................................................................................ 16 Trends in Market Value of Agricultural Products Sold .................................................................... 17 III. LAND USE PLANNING CONTEXT ............................................................................................. 25 State Plan and the “New” State Strategic Plan ................................................................................ 25 Raritan’s Master Plan and Development Regulations ..................................................................... 25 Current Land Use and Trends .......................................................................................................... 26 Development Regulations ................................................................................................................ 28 Description of Innovative Planning Techniques .............................................................................. 31 Sewer Service Area/Public Water Service Areas ............................................................................. 34 IV. RARITAN’S FARMLAND PRESERVATION PROGRAM ............................................................... 38 HUNTERDON COUNTY AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT AREAS ...................................................... 40 RARITAN’S MUNICIPAL PLANNING INCENTIVE GRANT (PIG) PROJECT AREAS ................................ 43 CONSISTENCY WITH SADC STRATEGIC TARGETING PROJECT .......................................................... 47 EIGHT YEAR PROGRAMS .................................................................................................................. 47 Open Space Coordination ................................................................................................................ 47 Monitoring of Preserved Farmland ................................................................................................. 48 V. RARITAN’S FUTURE FARMLAND PRESERVATION PROGRAM ................................................... 49 Preservation Goals ........................................................................................................................... 49 Municipal Eligibility Criteria ............................................................................................................. 49 County Minimum Eligibility Criteria Coordination ........................................................................... 49 State Minimum Eligibility Criteria .................................................................................................... 50 Municipal Policy Related to Farmland Preservation Applications ................................................... 50 Raritan Township Funding Sources .................................................................................................. 53 County Funding Sources .................................................................................................................. 53 State and Federal Funding Sources ................................................................................................. 54 Federal Funding ............................................................................................................................... 55 Cost Share ........................................................................................................................................ 56 Cost Projections ............................................................................................................................... 57 VI. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ................................................................................................... 58 Agricultural Industry Retention/ Expansion/Recruitment Strategies.............................................. 58 Business Input Suppliers and Services ............................................................................................. 60 Anticipated Agricultural Trends ....................................................................................................... 61 VII. NATURAL RESOURCE CONSERVATION .................................................................................. 63 Raritan Township Comprehensive Farmland Preservation Plan Natural Resource Protection Agencies ............................................................................................ 63 Natural Resource Protection Programs ........................................................................................... 64 VIII: AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRY SUSTAINABILITY, RETENTION AND PROMOTION ........................ 66 APPENDICES ............................................................................................................................... 68 . Raritan Township Comprehensive Farmland Preservation Plan INTRODUCTION Raritan Township, which is shown in yellow to the right, is located in south central Hunterdon County. The Raritan River forms the Township’s northern and easterly borders. The Borough of Flemington, which is the county seat of Hunterdon, contains a population of 4,500 people, is 1.1 square miles, and is totally surrounded by Raritan Township. Raritan Township is bordered by five Hunterdon County Municipalities: Clinton Township, Readington Township, East Amwell Township, Delaware Township, and Franklin Township. The Township contains 38.6 square miles, with a diverse mix of land uses. The corridors of N.J. Route 31 and U.S. Route 202, which pass through the Township, are intensely developed with highway commercial uses in the vicinity of Flemington. Overall, both residential and commercial development is focused around Flemington and in the eastern and northern areas of the Township. However, despite being the most populous municipality in the County, there are still large tracts of farmland, particularly in the western and southern quadrants of the Township. Agriculture has played an important role in the history of the Township and the Township has actively pursued farmland preservation over the last two decades. This Comprehensive Farmland Preservation Plan is intended to be an integral element of the Raritan Township Master Plan. The specific agricultural and preservation goals and policies set forth herein are intended to complement the Township’s 2018 Master Plan and Raritan Township’s overall planning vision. This document will address both the State’s guidelines for a Comprehensive Farmland Preservation Plan and Municipal Land Use Law requirements for a Farmland Preservation Plan element. Farmland Preservation Plans have been specifically authorized as an element of municipal master plans (N.J.S.A. 40:55D-28.b(13)) since 1999 when the Municipal Land Use Law was amended. A Farmland Preservation Plan is required to include: • An inventory of farm properties and a map illustrating significant areas of agricultural land; • A statement showing that municipal ordinances support and promote agriculture as a business; and • A plan for preserving as much farmland as possible in the short term by leveraging monies made available through the Farmland Preservation Planning Incentive Grant program, which may include option agreements, installment purchases, and donations to permanent development easements, among other techniques. Page 1 Raritan Township Comprehensive Farmland Preservation Plan Vision Statement Raritan Township’s vision statement for farmland preservation is to: • Secure the agricultural land base, bolster the industry of agriculture, proactively curtail conflicts with non-agricultural neighbors, ensure adequate water for agriculture, all Township residents and businesses, and prevent sprawl. • Preserve farms and retain significant masses of agricultural land in agricultural production, which will: o continue to contribute to the economic viability of the agricultural industry; o provide for critical ground water recharge areas, o provide consumers with access to locally grown sources of horticultural and fresh food products; and o maintain the small town, rural lifestyle that characterizes this agricultural community. Goals and Objectives As noted in the 2018 Raritan Township Master