Retesting of soil ordered at site of housing proposal

Township to hire independent firm

By: Marisa Maldonado
   EAST WINDSOR — The township Planning Board has ordered additional environmental testing on the former site of the East Windsor Speedway, while granting preliminary approval for the construction of more than 50 houses on the property.
   The township will hire an independent firm, at the expense of developer Robertson Douglas, to inspect soil and groundwater samples for 126 possible contaminants, including lead and petroleum-based products. The land’s former uses as a speedway and an airport make a second opinion necessary, Mayor Janice Mironov said at Monday’s Planning Board meeting, before construction can begin on the 53 single-family homes.
   "The property, over the years, has had very intensive uses that generate possibility of contamination," the mayor said at Monday’s meeting. "It is important to the town, (and) the marketing of homes, that there be an additional set of eyes."
   Later Mayor Mironov said the decision was made because the same company, Melick-Rully, had done three other studies on the land. She added that it was not intended as a insult to the firm’s abilities.
   "You get a second opinion for medical issues," she said. "I think we should have a second opinion (for this)."
   Retesting the soil also would help Robertson Douglas sell the homes, as potential buyers would be more confident in the land quality, the mayor said.
   A walk-through of the site, done by the firm last month at the township’s request, had found no dangerous levels of contaminants. Three prior environmental tests, completed in 2001, 2002 and 2004, also revealed amounts of contaminants that fell below state-mandated levels.
   Bob Geiger of the Robertson Douglas group said the company was open to doing additional tests — and to providing speedway owner Don Jones with half of all soil and groundwater samples, a favor Mr. Jones asked for during the public comment session at Monday’s meeting.
   Mr. Jones said he plans to have the soil tested by an independent laboratory to compare his findings with that of the township-appointed firm.
   "I’d like to know what’s on the property too," he said after the meeting.
   The entire process, which includes hiring a firm and collecting and analyzing samples, could take between two and four months, the mayor said.
   Robertson Douglas plans to put each house on a lot of about 1 acre. The home prices will start at $600,000.