Ed
Pfeiffer
Guest Column
Ed
Pfeiffer
The massive warehouse development being planned by Matrix Corp. in Washington Township, Mercer County, on Old York Road on what is currently a farm near Allentown and Upper Freehold Township is what I would call a "dumb" growth project. The Matrix General Development Plan, already approved by Washington Township, calls for over 5.58 million feet of warehouse space (eight total warehouses) to be built over 434 acres of farmland.
I consider this a "dumb" growth project because it promotes sprawl in Central New Jersey. Even a light industrial complex, built on such overwhelming scale as the proposed Matrix development, among country roads and open farmlands, would greatly undermine the efforts of the state plan for smart growth in Central New Jersey. The Matrix general development plan, if implemented, will have far-reaching, profound, and negative consequences on diverse planning objectives such as the preservation of open space and the protection of key environmental, cultural, and historical resources over a much wider area than just Washington Township. A large rural region will be affected that includes Old York Road, historic Allentown, and Upper Freehold Township.
Specific problems with this application for a massive new trucking complex in the countryside are: storm water contamination by oil/gasoline runoff from parking lots and runoff from warehouse roofs into Doctor’s Creek, which is a watershed for Allentown that supports a nearby beaver colony; destruction of farmland habitat that supports the endangered Savannah sparrow and bog turtle; loss of ground water recharge because of impervious surface runoff at a time of chronic drought in our state; pressure to "improve" Old York Road and urbanize a rural area to accommodate heavy truck traffic; and finally, a threat to an historic area that saw numerous skirmishes and encampments by British and Hessian troops on their way to the Battle of Monmouth in 1778.
What is possibly most disappointing about this project is that the majority of the nearby residents affected are located in a different municipality (Upper Freehold Township), so they have little say in the matter. At local Planning Board meetings these residents, who have the misfortune to live on the other side of the township line, were ignored by Washington Township. It seems apparent from this behavior that Washington Township is only concerned about its own interests and not those of its neighbors. Its unenlightened actions underscore the need for statewide, smart planning based on regional impact. Furthermore, in a rush for more ratables, Washington Township seeks a quick fix to its own temporary problem while creating more difficult problems for itself and its neighbors. And again, the environmental and cultural resources, once lost, cannot be recovered later.
Ed Pfeiffer is the co-chairman of the Central Jersey Group Sierra Club