"a lot of the Halper property remains fallow and, as a result, we've got a lot of wildlife in the area, including a flock of wild turkeys. If they turn that land into mowed soccer fields, I'm not sure where all that wildlife is supposed to go. I suspect the turkeys and other animals will be lost because they won't have any place to feed."
That's interesting!
Unbeknownst to me, the house I owned was on property that was formerly zoned as a "green acres." I had to go to some council meetings and sign off on "transferring" that green acres to some land that abutted Route 287. This was about 6 years ago.
Some months later, when two supersized, Piscataway Township councilmen (I forget their names now) came around canvassing for votes, they had the misfortune of happening upon me while I was doing some yard work. We of course started talking about the Cornell Farm (The Halpers place). I asked of what value it would be to me and my family. Would it be turned into a park that we could use? They flat out said "No" that it would be kept undeveloped at all.
I asked them how my house got built and why it was so easy to simply change the designation of my property and transfer it to land along a highway. No answer of course. I asked them why the property that Piscataway owned right next to the Halpers got developed as a Walmart and Lowes if all this "Open space" was so important. They started to look very uncomfortable and back away.
I was still reading them the riot act as they turned their backs and walked away!