Cranbury, NJ has decided to seize a family farm

Thanks to the state requirements on affordable housing, the tiny, quaint town of Cranbury has decided to seize a family farm that has been in the Henry family since the 1850s.

The family is desperately trying to keep a promise they made to their grandparents that they would keep the farm in the family and not sell to developers.

They were offered millions by developers in the past but refused, keeping the promise to their family to preserve their precious 21-acre farm.

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Cows at Andy's Farm in Cranbury (Jay Taylor)

Chris and Andy Henry begged the Cranbury Township Council last week not to seize the land their great-grandfather purchased in 1850. Both of their parents served in World War II, and the brothers were a big part of the community growing up.

None of that seemed to matter to the council. The area is zoned for light industrial and is surrounded by warehouses and other light industrial properties, and according to the Henry family's pleas to keep their land, that makes it unsuitable for housing.

Location of the farmland in Cranbury that could be taken by eminent domain. (Google Maps/Townsquare Media)

But the town of Cranbury seems to feel otherwise. They voted unanimously in the town council to seize the property under eminent domain to meet the requirements of the state's housing regulations.

The town says it meets the requirements of access to water and sewer and public transit. Well, the family and the community feel otherwise. There is a GoFundMe account set up to handle legal funds for the family. The council is set to meet on June 24 with a deadline of June 30.

Already, supporters of the family and good people of New Jersey who want to stop this kind of treachery have raised nearly $50K to help with the legal costs in this battle.

Hopefully, whoever becomes governor later this year will end the predatory nonsense. And also revamp the state's ridiculous “affordable housing“ rules that are making a mess of many New Jersey suburban towns.