Henry family wins emotional fight to save Cranbury farm from seizure

☑️Cranbury’s plan to seize the Henry Family Farm for housing has been dropped

☑️Gov. Phil Murphy praises the new deal

☑️ The Henry brothers are grateful for the victory

CRANBURY — An agreement has been reached to allow the Henry family to keep its farm, and for affordable housing to go elsewhere in a Central Jersey town.

A letter sent to the family in the spring by the Cranbury Township Council threatened to take the farm on South River Road by eminent domain to build 265 affordable housing units on the property of the farm that was built in the 1850s. The action to bring the  township in compliance with the Mount Laurel affordable housing rule sparked controversy that reached Washington, D.C., as well as a lawsuit.

The agreement between the Henry family, Cranbury Township, and Fair Share Housing announced Thursday ends the controversy.

“From the very beginning, I have opposed efforts to seize the Henry Family Farm through eminent domain. While every town in New Jersey must do its part to resolve our state’s affordable housing crisis, these efforts must be pursued thoughtfully and collaboratively," Gov. Phil Murphy said in a statement.

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The agreement hinges on an anticipated revision of a rule of a rule proposed by the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency that will encourage "responsible development that will make housing more accessible."

"Brothers Andy and Chris Henry learned about the decision Thursday morning when their phones began to buzz," according to former Cranbury Mayor Jay Taylor who has helped lead efforts to save the farm. "He (Andy) never thought that this would ever happen. He thought he and Chris were gonna be in this fight alone."

"He's (Andy) feeling very positive and very thankful to everybody," Taylor said.

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Federal and local leaders praise outcome after months of pressure

Cranbury Mayor Lisa Knierim was also pleased with the decision and said the pending adjustment was a direct result of "sustained advocacy" and public comments from several agencies including the township council, Fair Share Housing, and the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs.

"This adjustment creates a meaningful opportunity for Cranbury to evaluate alternative sites to the Henry Farm, while continuing to meet our state-mandated affordable housing obligations with transparency and fiscal responsibility," Knierim said.

Assemblyman Alex Sauickie, R-Middlesex, said it was pressure from Republicans that won the fight not Democrats.

“Now Gov. Murphy wants to speak on the subject but the truth is that his administration’s policies are the reason the farm was ever in jeopardy," Sauickie said. “My Republican colleagues and I will always fight for what is right, open space, and the preservation of a farm to keep the garden in the Garden State. The same cannot be said of Democrats, whose actions have spoken louder than a misleading statement by Murphy. Thankfully, in this case, we won.”

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, who threatened to pull federal funding for Cranford, posted her excitement about the decision.

"GOOD NEWS COMING!!! Stay tuned. Andy, you are a warrior," Rollins wrote on her X account.

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