Chris Henry stood before the Cranbury Township Committee earlier this week, begging the town not to seize a historic farm his family has owned for generations.
Henry and his brother, Andy, grew up on the South River Road farm, completed their Eagle Scout projects in Cranbury and have returned year after year to help maintain the Middlesex County land their great-grandfather purchased in 1850.
“We love the town and have spent decades of our lives here, as have our parents and our ancestors,” Chris Henry said in the meeting Monday.
Their parents, both World War II veterans, left a lasting legacy in Cranbury, marked by their mother’s name etched on the town’s war memorial.
- MORE: ‘We just want to keep the farm.’ N.J. family begs town not to seize 175-year-old land.
Since taking full ownership of the farm over a decade ago, the brothers said they have invested more than $200,000 to maintain it. Though the Henry brothers now live in New Mexico, they visit regularly to check on the property, which is run by a local tenant who raises sheep and cattle.
Cranbury officials are moving forward with plans to seize the 21-acre farm through eminent domain to make space for the construction of affordable housing. Town officials say they plan to pay the family a fair price for the land, even though the Henry brothers don’t want to sell.
The brothers are making a final push to save the land.
“We’re asking that the township committee look at other alternatives that don’t require this blunt force method of eminent domain against a family that does not want to sell their property,” Chris Henry said.
The family’s plea comes as Cranbury races to meet a June 30 deadline to submit its affordable housing plan to the state. The township is required to build 265 affordable housing units over the next decade — part of a statewide mandate that has stirred controversy in some towns.
By 2035, municipalities across New Jersey must add or renovate more than 146,000 affordable units under quotas established by the state. The mandate stems from the Mount Laurel Doctrine, a series of New Jersey Supreme Court rulings that require towns to provide their fair share of affordable housing in the region.
A sign reading “Save Andy’s Family Farm” is posted outside Cranbury Town Hall by residents opposing the township’s plaAndy Henry
Towns are not required to build the housing themselves. But they are required to come up with a plan that includes areas where developers can build affordable units.
To help meet those requirements, the Cranbury Township Committee voted unanimously on May 12 to acquire the Henry family farm.
The vote came a month after the Henry brothers received a letter notifying them that their property was being eyed for affordable housing.
If the family doesn’t agree to sell the farm, the land could be taken through the eminent domain process that allows the government to take private property. Land can be seized even when the owner doesn’t want to sell if the site will be used for a public purpose. The owner is paid a market price for the property.
Cranbury Mayor Lisa Knierim said the township committee spent more than a year reviewing over 50 sites before selecting the farm. She said the move was necessary to avoid costly legal lawsuits from developers — known as “builder’s remedy lawsuits” — that could strip the township of control over where and how affordable housing is built.
“A builder’s remedy would destroy the infrastructure, cripple our emergency services and overload our schools,” Knierim said. “Our decision was fact based, and whether people like it or not, that’s what this job is.”
“No one is in favor of eminent domain. No one wants to see a farm disappear,” she added.
Cranbury is expected to release its affordable housing plan by the end of the week, with a planning board meeting set for June 24 to review the proposal.
The township hasn’t disclosed what developers plan to build on the farm. That has left residents concerned about where the housing will be placed.
A historic photo of the Henry family farm in Cranbury, which the family has owned since the 1800s.Henry Family
According to former Cranbury Mayor Jay Taylor, who has been advocating for the family, the property is located in a warehouse zone and is undesirable for housing.
“There are other places to build, other options to consider, but there is only one Henry family farm, and once it’s gone, it’s gone forever,” Taylor said. “What message do we send our children if we tear down the field their ancestors fought to protect?”
The farm, situated between the New Jersey Turnpike and Route 130, is surrounded on all sides by industrial development. Across the street is the future site of what is expected to be a massive warehouse, Taylor added.
Warehouse developers have targeted the Henry family farm property for more than 30 years and the brothers said they have repeatedly turned down offers to sell. The site could now be worth more than $5 million, according to the family’s attorney.
The Henrys say they plan to challenge the township’s eminent domain decision in court if the development moves forward.
As of Wednesday, an online fundraiser had raised more than $27,500 toward a $50,000 goal to help cover legal costs.
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