At the September 8 Borough Council meeting, a resident asked when the new pedestrian bridge would be built. Council President Murphy said the schedule depended on the brook. Prep work would start by the end of the following week. After September 15, 2026, no work would happen until after March 15, 2027, according to the meeting minutes.
So in mid-November the Brook Street site is in a pause the borough expected. That pause shows how the borough's new walking network will be built. The bridge is the first piece of a larger plan to connect Peapack village, Natirar and the redeveloped former Pfizer campus on foot. The brook's trout season decides when each piece can move.
The Brook Sets the Calendar
New Jersey's Surface Water Quality Standards list Peapack Brook, "Entire length," as FW2-TP(C1). That means the state classifies it as trout-production water and gives it Category One protection, the state's highest tier.
The state's freshwater wetlands rules say activities that stir up sediment or cloud the water "shall not be performed" during listed timing restrictions. For trout-production waters where only brook and/or brown trout are present, that window runs September 15 through March 15. The same table sets different windows for other trout waters, including March 15 to June 15 for trout-stocked and trout-maintenance waters.
The council has applied that fall-to-winter window to the Brook Street bridge. In May, when another resident asked for a timeline, Murphy said construction was aimed to start before September 15, "but the bulk of the work will be done in 2027."
The same water that sets the bridge schedule also brings anglers to town. NJ Fish & Wildlife's 2026 list of trout waters with public access includes Peapack Brook.
A Bridge, a Gate, and a Line 20 Feet South of Natirar
The money came from the county. At the May 5 council meeting, Murphy said she and Mr. Kappler, chair of the Environmental Commission, asked Somerset County's open space program to fund a bridge over Peapack Brook. The county awarded the borough $410,000. The minutes say the bridge will let residents walk to Natirar safely, and back from Natirar into town.
Next to that grant, the local spending is small. In September the council approved an $8,050 proposal from Jerry Conover Excavating, Inc. for site work at the Brook Street pedestrian bridge.
The route depends on access to private land. The council passed Resolution R-86-26 by consent at the same May meeting. It authorizes the mayor to sign a trail easement agreement with 158 Route 206 PG, LLC. When a resident asked where the trails would run, Murphy described three pieces. The gate will have a pedestrian section, the borough has an easement with the house by the gate, and the trail will run 20 feet south of Natirar instead of crossing into the park directly.
Parking has come up too. In May, the council heard that drivers were using the trail parking area as a turnaround. The borough planned to start with signs and consider a fence and divider if that didn't work. By September, the minutes recorded that the signs had been up for about two months without fixing the problem, and Murphy said she would discuss next steps with the head of the Department of Public Works.
The Network the Bridge Is Meant to Join
In the May minutes, the bridge is one part of a larger plan. The borough "is working towards a trail network to aid newer developments within the community from feeling isolated from other parts of town."
The largest of those newer developments is the former Pfizer campus on Route 206. The tract covers 148 acres, including a 71-acre office campus with 10 buildings and two parking garages. Pfizer moved out in February 2024. New Jersey Hills reported that the Land Use Board unanimously approved a senior housing redevelopment there, proposed by 100 Route 206 PG, LLC, which is controlled by Melillo Equities. In the same article, managing partner Anthony Melillo said the site would become "a lynchpin of the borough trails system." He said it would connect Natirar and Komline parks to the Lackawanna Avenue corridor and put more than 50 acres into preservation.
The campus also adds less traffic to the corridor than it used to. The applicant's traffic consultant told the board the new use would produce about 150 peak-hour trips. Under Pfizer the number was 550.
The senior community there is called CopperWood Senior Living. Its developers announced a ceremonial groundbreaking for November 4 in a release published by TAPinto. The release says the campus's green land will be protected as a preserve open to the public. It also says Copper Chophouse, the on-site restaurant, will serve the general public as well as residents. In that release, Mayor Mark Corigliano said the project includes "the preservation of open space that will include public access trails, connected to our downtown."
Here is where each piece stood going into mid-November:
| Piece | Who is behind it | Where it stands |
|---|---|---|
| Brook Street footbridge over Peapack Brook | Borough, with $410,000 from Somerset County open space | Prep work expected in September; no work in the brook until after March 15, 2027 |
| Trail easement near the Natirar gate | Borough agreement with 158 Route 206 PG, LLC, per R-86-26 | Authorized at the May 5, 2026 meeting |
| Preserve and trails on the former Pfizer campus | Melillo Equities and partners | Ceremonial groundbreaking announced for Nov. 4; more than 50 acres slated for preservation |
| Natirar's existing trails | Somerset County Park Commission | Open daily, half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset |
Spring 2027 Brings More Than the Bridge
When the bridge work can resume, another nearby project starts. Somerset County's Mendham Road Bridge D1303 project, on County Route 647 between Dewey and Jackson avenues, is scheduled to begin construction in March 2027 and take about two months. The county project page, updated October 2, calls for a full bridge closure with a detour via Jackson Avenue, Main Street (County Route 671) and Dewey Avenue.
That puts two bridge projects in Peapack at the same time next spring, one for walkers and one for drivers. Both are in the part of town the new trail network is meant to connect.
Until Then, Natirar From the Main Street Side
In the meantime, you can still walk Natirar the usual way. The Somerset County Park Commission lists two trails, the 1.3-mile Great Meadow Trail and the 1.0-mile Upper Field Trail. Visitors can walk, jog, bike or ride horses on both. The county's park map shows parking near the Main Street entrance. It also marks the leased resort property as "NO PUBLIC ACCESS," so stay on the marked walking trail. General-use county parks are open from half an hour before sunrise until half an hour after sunset unless a sign says otherwise. In late fall that makes an after-work walk short.
The holiday season gives the park and the village a few set dates. Pendry Natirar lists its Mansion lighting for November 28, 5 to 7 p.m., with carolers, cookies and cocoa. It's complimentary for resort guests, and reservations are requested. The borough's own Annual Tree Lighting and Santa Visit is on the calendar for December 6, 5 to 6 p.m.
After March 15, work on the Brook Street bridge can start again. When it's done, people in Peapack village will be able to walk to Natirar without driving to the Main Street lot.
If you live near Brook Street, Main Street or the old Pfizer campus and want to know how these trail and bridge projects could affect your property, Megan Bonanno can walk you through what's on record. Reach out to Megan Bonanno - NJ and request your free home valuation.
