Senator Doug Steinhardt, Assembly Republican Leader John DiMaio, and Assemblyman Erik Peterson celebrated the State’s proposed acquisition of the Jaindl Property in White Township.

District 23 legislators celebrated the State’s proposed acquisition of the Jaindl Property in White Township. (SenateNJ.com)

“I am proud of the hard work that’s going into preserving this property,” said Steinhardt. “These are exactly the kinds of outcomes we can achieve when multiple stakeholders come together.”

On April 20, 2023 Senator Doug Steinhardt organized and hosted a transportation, safety and traffic congestion tour of Warren and northern Hunterdon Counties, attended by then-New Jersey Department of Transportation Commissioner Diane Guiterrez-Scaccetti, Assemblymen John DiMaio and Erik Peterson, Warren County Commissioners Lori Ciesla, James Kern and Jason Sarnoski, and other area leaders.

The effects of rural over-development were among the many topics discussed, and preservation of the 575 acres of White Township farmland slated for warehouse development by the Jaindl Companies was identified as critical to maintaining Warren County’s rural landscape. In the months since that visit, a myriad of conversations took place between the SADC, property owner, local stakeholders and state and county leaders.

“This has always been farmland and now we can celebrate that it will stay that way forever. Preserving this land represents the best possible outcome, because it strikes the right balance between the needs of the land owner with the concerns of the community,” DiMaio said. “By honoring the land’s important agricultural contributions, the state is also maintaining residents’ quality of life in White Township.”

As news of the potential preservation of these acres becomes public, the LD23 Legislators are reaffirming their commitment to smart growth and farmland preservation across the district.

“This is why I’ve always voted for legislation that provides funding for farmland preservation since I was a freeholder,” said Peterson. “This is a great example of why I have consistently valued preservation over development, especially in a situation like this. The community is breathing a big sigh of relief and we are cheering right alongside them.”