Mon – Fri: 8:30 – 4:00
(609) 883-2900
2 Jake Garzio Drive
Ewing, NJ 08628
Ewing, NJ 08628
Park Improvements
Ewing Park Stewardship Goals
More Information
Please direct additional questions to:
Director, Community Affairs Department: Ted Forst
Phone: (609) 883-1776 X6203
Email: tforst@ewingnj.org
Learn more about Green Acres Grants
Green Acres Grant Opportunity for Inclusive Playground Public Survey
The Township of Ewing wishes to build a Completely Inclusive Playground adjacent to the new Ewing Senior and Community Center at 999 Lower Ferry Road applying for funding available through the New Jersey Green Acres Program.
The playground will be designed to meet the State's Jake's Law standards, New Jersey's regulations for completely inclusive playgrounds, and will provide accessible, engaging play opportunities for children of all abilities. @NJGreenAcres
Input from the public is vital in helping us understand the recreational needs and priorities that will service all members of our community and will guide playground development as well as future programming and services aimed at improving accessibility for all residents.
The public is also encouraged to attend the public hearing listed below hosted by Mayor Bert Steinmann to learn more about the proposal and to ask questions or to provide comments.
HEARING DETAILS
Tuesday, February 10, 2026, at 6:30 p.m.
Council Chambers, Ewing Municipal Building, 2nd floor, 2 Jake Garzio Drive
Please park and enter from the rear of the building.
HOW TO PARTICIPATE
In Person: Attend the hearing at Council Chambers to ask questions and provide comments.
Remote Access: A Zoom webinar is available at:
https://zoom.us/j/94813378313...
(Passcode: 696552)
Questions and comments may be submitted in advance to the Municipal Clerk at kmacellaro@ewingnj.org.
VIEW PROJECT DOCUMENTS
- Concept Plan (Updated)
- Environmental Impact Assessment
- Cost Estimate and
- Summary of Community Survey Results
Hard copies are available at the Clerk's Office.
WRITTEN COMMENTS
Written comments on the proposed application may be directed to:
Kim Macellaro, RMC, CMC
Ewing Municipal Clerk
Email: kmacellaro@ewingnj.org
Address: 2 Jake Garzio Drive, Ewing, NJ 08628
Phone: (609) 538-7609
Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership Program Grant Request
Ewing Township is seeking community input on an opportunity to apply for federal funding to make improvements to John S. Watson Park and the Ilene Black Field at the Municipal fields complex. Watson Park includes the LiMato Football fields, Carlton Softball field, and the picnic area off Upper Ferry Road.
The grant opportunity is through the National Park Service’s Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership (OLRP) Program and is administered by the National Park Service. Potential improvements could include walking trails, athletic fields, a playground, dog park, community garden, picnic areas, and other amenities based on community priorities.
The public is invited to provide input to help us plan for the future of the park. You may attend public meetings early in 2026 and/or take our survey below.
Attend a Public Meeting
Join us at either of two public meetings at the Hollowbrook Community Center (Community Room - 320 Hollowbrook Dr., Ewing, NJ) to learn more about the project and share your feedback:
- Tuesday, March 3, 2026, at 6:00 pm
A Zoom link to attend the meeting virtually follows:
Ewing Township is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: Community Brainstorming Meeting
Time: Mar 3, 2026 06:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/97210990846?pwd=I2kW6sPoR9T0bdUtsh0YAk0BbBHKQ3.1
Meeting ID: 972 1099 0846
Passcode: 707211
One tap mobile
+13092053325,,97210990846#,,,,*707211# US
+13126266799,,97210990846#,,,,*707211# US (Chicago)
Join instructions
Take our Survey
We also invite you to provide feedback on improvements that you would like to see implemented at the park through our online survey. It is brief and should take approximately 5 minutes to complete. Survey responses will be compiled and summarized as part of Ewing's grant application and shared at the upcoming community meetings.
- Survey link. If you would like to keep a copy of your survey responses, be sure to include your name and email as requested at the bottom of the survey.
The Future of Ewing Parks
Over the next several years, the Township has determined to transform the landscape of their parks and recreational facilities for the future. This project will be one of the first steps in providing sustainable land development for some of the most frequently used facilities in the area. Therefore, the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership grant is essential for ensuring that these improvements will be effective for a long period of time.
This investment will enhance our parks, expand recreational opportunities, and improve accessibility for residents of all ages.
As part of the grant process, we are committed to engaging the community every step of the way. There will be multiple opportunities for residents to view project plans, share feedback, and ask questions in the coming months. Your input will help shape the final design and ensure these upgrades best serve our community’s needs.
Stay tuned for upcoming public meetings and other ways to get involved.
Click on the image below to see a larger size.
The College of New Jersey and Ewing Township Open Space 10-Year Land Stewardship Plan
A Ewing Parks Conservation Plan was developed from a joint effort between TCNJ and Friends of Hopewell Valley Open Space (FoHVOS) with a focus on preserving and stewarding lands in Ewing Twp. FoHVOS was awarded a grant for TCNJ internships and, under the leadership of Michael Van Clef, Ph.D., Stewardship Director, Dana Christensen, Land Steward, and Kaitlin Muccio, Land Steward, worked with 4 students for 2024-25 school year to create conservation plan for campus, plus 3 municipal parks in Ewing Twp. These lands include lands at:
The College of New Jersey (413 acres),
John Watson Park (60 acres),
Hollow Brook Park (27 acres), and
Temple Park (26 acres).
The Plan, finalized in June 2025, developed a stewardship vision of restoring mature forests, wildlife corridors, and native meadows.
Major threats to conservation values identified in the report include: invasive species, altered soils, and deer overabundance.
"The properties show significant signs of deer over browse, which has led to severe ecological degradation in natural areas. Virtually all forests fall into two impaired categories – “Empty Forest Syndrome” (few understory plants) or “Infested Forest Syndrome” (only unpalatable invasive understory plants). Reduction of the deer density to 20 per square mile (or as low as 10 per square mile to allow recovery of the most sensitive forest wildflowers) is critical to allow native species, freed from excessive browse, to exert ecological control over invasive species and produce healthy native plant communities.
The extent of invasive species infestation is severe. A total of 48 invasive species were detected across all Properties. In order of severity, 100% of Temple Park, 96% of John Watson Park, 67% of TCNJ, and 37% of Hollow Brook Park have severe infestations of one or more species. Only 10% of TCNJ, 8% of Hollow Brook and 2% of John Watson Park are considered virtually free of invasive species. The three most abundant species are Japanese Stiltgrass, Multiflora Rose, and Japanese Honeysuckle. Importantly, there were 25 detected emerging invasive species or nascent populations of widespread species that should be considered for eradication to avoid future degradation of ecological health."
FoHVOS Proposed Stewardship Recommendations
Start with Deer Management Programs (to reduce grazing pressure and impacts)
Invasive Species Removal by Action Code (Mechanical, Chemical, Biological)
Restoration of Land through Native Plantings, Stewardship, Long-Term Monitoring.