Middle Township seeks to seize Dawn Robinson’s 2.4-acre lot for 340-home project

Middle Township filed an eminent-domain complaint to obtain Dawn Robinson’s 2.4-acre lot in Whitesboro as part of the Indian Trail Redevelopment, a 340-home scheme slated for construction by NVR Inc. Robinson, who purchased the property for $40,000 about 23 years ago, has refused the township’s $47,000 offer, saying she wants to keep the land for her children. A show-cause hearing scheduled for May 6 was postponed to July 1, and a closed-door mediation in July produced no agreement, so the dispute will likely return to Superior Court for a final judgment.

Mayor Christopher Leusner describes the project as a “transformative initiative” that will meet affordable-housing obligations and boost municipal revenue. Legal scholars cite a recent New Jersey Supreme Court ruling limiting eminent-domain transfers to private developers, emphasizing the requirement for a specific public benefit. Advocacy group Truth and Record is fundraising for Robinson’s legal costs, warning that the case underscores historic patterns of displacement in predominantly Black neighborhoods.