The mayor of Bridgewater filed an injunction Friday in Somerset County Superior Court, asking a judge to immediately stop work on a new access road into Washington Valley Park.

It was filed after the township learned 500 trees were torn down as part of Somerset County’s plan to build the access road.

Bridgewater officials were led to believe that only 34 trees were coming down.

The mayor fears the clearing will create a major flood risk since the trees had soaked up rainwater during storms, protecting homes 900 feet below the park along areas of Donahue Road and Route 22.

“In addition to destroying the pristine condition that this park is in, it’s now creating a condition where you're making residents property and lives in danger with unnecessary flooding,” said Mayor Matthew Moench.

The new access road would replace the one on Miller Lane where homeowners have complained to the county for years about cars driving into the park.

Homeowners have suggested that their home value would rise if the current access road was closed off and the road became private.

In addition to the injunction, Bridgewater also filed a complaint in superior court two days ago, calling on the county to provide a stormwater management plan and demanding trees be replanted.