The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders is pleased to announce that grants have been awarded to 20 municipalities in Union County for improvements to recreation resources for children, and to 18 municipalities for new trees to be planted on municipal property. In addition, the Freeholder Board has awarded grants to nine municipalities and non-profit organizations for preserving and improving local historic sites.
The awards were funded through the Union County Open Space, Recreation, and Historic Preservation Trust Fund.
“Since first established in 2000, the Open Space Trust Fund has enabled the people of Union County to enjoy continued improvements in public recreation resources, along with aesthetic and environmental improvements related to trees,” said Freeholder Chair Bette Jane Kowalski. “The Freeholder Board is very proud to carry on this mission as the Trust Fund approaches its 20th year of service.”
The Open Space Trust Fund was established by popular referendum in 2000, with an initial focus on expanding and improving Union County parks.
In 2004 the mission of the Trust Fund was broadened to include Kids Recreation annual matching grants to municipalities for improving local children’s recreation resources, as well as annual Greening Union County “tree for tree” matching grants to plant trees on municipal properties.
The Trust Fund also includes grants from the Preserve Union County program, which provides funding to municipalities and non-profit organizations for historic preservation projects.
The following municipalities received 2019 Kids Recreation Trust Fund grants totaling $999,697.25:
- Berkeley Heights – $43,500
- Clark – $42,000
- Cranford – $46,000
- Elizabeth – $112,000
- Fanwood – $40,000
- Garwood – $16,000
- Hillside – $8,121
- Kenilworth – $48,000
- Linden – $70,000
- Mountainside – $31,000
- New Providence – $40,000
- Plainfield – $74,676.25
- Rahway – $73,000
- Roselle – $46,000
- Roselle Park – $42,000
- Scotch Plains – $63,000
- Springfield – $30,000
- Summit – $62,000
- Union – $60,000
- Westfield – $52,400
The following municipalities received 2019 Greening Union County matching “tree-for-tree” grants totaling $107,072:
- Berkeley Heights – $3,000
- Clark – $3,500
- Cranford – $4,500
- Elizabeth – $13,600
- Fanwood – $1,322
- Garwood – $5,000
- Hillside – $2,100
- Kenilworth – $3,000
- Linden – $9,400
- New Providence – $2,500
- Plainfield – $13,200
- Rahway – $4,500
- Roselle Park – $5,000
- Scotch Plains – $3,750
- Springfield – $5,000
- Summit – $13,000
- Union – $4,700
- Westfield – $5,000
The following historic sites received 2019 Preserve Union County grants totaling $300,315:
- Littel-Lord House in Berkeley Heights – $85,000
- Crane-Phillips House in Cranford – $2,500
- Fanwood Carriage House in Fanwood – $2,000
- Oswald J. Nitschke House in Kenilworth – $21,000
- Cultural Arts Center in Plainfield – $19,715
- duCret School of Art in Plainfield – $45,000
- Merchant & Drovers Tavern in Rahway – $30,000
- Rotary Frazee House in Scotch Plains – $85,000
- Reeves-Reed Arboretum in Summit – $10,100
