TOM JOHNSON / NJ SPOTLIGHT – The owner of preserved farmland in Franklin Township violated the law when it excavated and leveled 20 acres in building temporary greenhouses, the New Jersey Supreme Court ruled yesterday.
In a 38-page decision, the court found the resulting destruction of “prime’’ soil constituted a violation of deed restrictions on the preserved land even though new buildings for agricultural purposes are a permitted use.
To farmland advocates, the case is significant because it upholds one of the prime purposes of farmland preservation: retaining those lands permanently for a variety of agricultural uses by future generations …
