PARSIPPANY — Jersey City Mayor Stephen Fulop is working with the Open Space Institute on a plan to open the Boonton Reservoir to the public and to develop a walking trail around it. Fulop expects this to be moving forward in the next two months.
As part of the plan Morris County will lead fundraising for improvements to the property and there are a couple huge benefits for Jersey City residents including:
1) working with the schools to use the facility for educational field trips;
2) better security as we will enter a memorandum of understanding to have it added to Parsippany Police and Morris County Parks regular patrol schedule;
Parsippany-Troy Hills Mayor Michael Soriano said “Our administration has been working hard with the Open Space Institute and Jersey City to get the Boonton Reservoir opened for hiking and recreation. I want to thank Mayor Fulop for his leadership on this initiative. When this vision becomes a reality, Parsippany will be home to one of the premier pieces of open space in the state of New Jersey!”
In the late 1890’s the Old Boonton Tract, along with other properties in the vicinity, was acquired by the Jersey City Water Supply Company for purposes of a reservoir. … Between 1902-03, after the dam was completed, the waters began to rise, and barren site of Old Boonton faded from view.
Drone video by Dave Kotinsky.
