A battle is brewing between a New Jersey township and Somerset County after hundreds of trees were cut down near a park, potentially jeopardizing critical stormwater runoff controls. 

Bridgewater officials said the county submitted plans to remove 34 trees near Washington Valley Park, but township engineers say somewhere between 300-500 were actually cut down.     

"This area has been decimated"

The usually scenic and quiet county-controlled park in the First Watchung Mountain ridge is anything but these days. 

Mayor Matthew Moench on Friday showed CBS News New York the construction site for a new access road to the park that will replace narrow Miller Lane. 

"What you see here would have been just all trees along with a trail system," Moench said. "Over the past three days, this area has been decimated into what you can see is a road large enough to land a small plane." 

Bridgewater officials filed a lawsuit claiming the county overstepped its bounds and took out way too many trees near the park. 

Not just about aesthetics

People who live near the park and frequent its trails were stunned by the size of the project. 

"My wife originally purchased the house. The number one thing she liked was that she was moving across the street from a park to an area she thought would never be developed. You don't expect park grounds to ever be developed to this scale," one Bridgewater resident said. 

Bridgewater officials say the trees were critical to controlling stormwater runoff down the mountain and the problem is not just aesthetic.

The township's lawsuit and injunction allege Somerset County is not complying with New Jersey state stormwater regulations, but the work continues. 

We reached out to the county multiple times, but have not heard back at this time.