09/04/2026
Who I Am:
Ask almost any Hunterdon resident why they moved to this beautiful county and the answers are almost always identical. Our strong sense of community. High quality schools. And almost every person will refer to Hunterdon’s open space and farmland. What makes Hunterdon different is what makes us special: our county’s legacy of land preservation. Hunterdon has the most preserved farms in NJ, and that is by design.
Lisa Routel is the write-in candidate for Readington Township Committee, and she is an advocate for preserving open space and farmland in Readington, Hunterdon’s largest municipality. Readington is the community she calls home, and she is determined to preserve and protect it. Lisa is a member of the Open Space Advisory Board & the Agricultural Farmland Preservation Committee. She chose to run for Readington Township Committee because she is motivated to continue Readington’s long tradition of responsible leadership, open space preservation, and strong community values.
Unfortunately that quality of life we have worked so hard for is at serious risk. Readington faces unprecedented development pressure from state-mandated affordable housing requirements. Special interests and developers are positioning themselves to capitalize on our community, threatening the rural character that generations have worked so hard to protect. Not only does preservation place land beyond the reach of development, it also helps to reduce the amount of available land used for the state’s affordable housing formula in municipalities.
Lisa is fighting to keep our rural quality and maintain our quality of life. Readington has been a pioneer in preservation with approximately 9,500 acres already preserved as either open space or farmland. Lisa will continue to work towards preserving an additional 3,500 acres by 2050. Furthermore, Readington is preserving 75 acres per year on average, which means we are on pace to surpass our goal. Since 2018, all acquisitions have been preserved by Readington Township with reimbursements by County, State programs, non-profits as well as donations. Meaning, we are preserving land in a fiscally responsible way which does not cost the Readington taxpayer.
*A version of this article was previously published in the August issue of the Clinton Township Newsletter