BY CHRIS GAETANO
Staff Writer
The South Brunswick Planning Board criticized a firm last week for not providing what it felt was sufficient information to even begin a critique of a concept plan for 76 luxury homes on the VanDyke farm.
The proposed development is a controversial one, as it would sit atop the 300-year-old farm, Davidsons Mill Road, which residents and the township have both expressed an interest in preserving. The development’s proximity to both a state park and a state-protected water body has also been a source of contention for residents in eastern South Brunswick, where the houses are being proposed.
The application, which complies with the area’s zoning regulations and demands no waivers or relief, was proposed shortly after the township rejected a request by developer Morris Realty Associates to rezone the farm for industrial use so a warehouse could be built there.
During the July 12 hearing, the firm’s planner, Gerald Linaz, described the tentative plans for the development using a sketch of the property and layout of the houses as a guide. The plan calls for the construction of 76 homes, 17 of which would be on 3-acre lots and 59 of which would be on 2-acre lots. One of these lots would be dedicated for preservation purposes, as the bodies of the original VanDyke family and, it is believed, their slaves are buried there.
Since local sewer services don’t extend to the area, each home would need a separate septic system. Whether or not the soil would be suitable for such systems had not yet been determined by the firm.
While Board Attorney Benjamin Bucca noted that the purpose behind a concept plan review is simply to get feedback on the general idea, members of the board shot back that there wasn’t enough information presented to give even that. According to members of the board, the township’s professionals shared similar sentiments over the lack of information presented.
“Based on the comments of professional staff, I believe this board, to make a valid judgment or a valid suggestion, should have a little more detail in this application before people say ‘Yes, you ought to go left,’ or ‘Yes, you ought to go right,’” board member Joe Spataro said before unfolding a copy of the concept plan and gesturing toward it for emphasis. “Who is going to make a commitment on this?”
The board especially emphasized the shortage of details about the septic systems and the soil’s suitability to handle them.
“Certainly in my mind … those soils could all be very wet and not support septics. I don’t know, we don’t have enough information. I guess an LOI [Department of Environmental Protection letter of interpretation] would tell us where the limits of disturbance would be, telling us where and if septics are possible and if so, what type of septics? Those are things we’re concerned with,” said board Chairman Robert Southwick. “I would say that this board would look heavily on heavy information but we couldn’t make a really intelligent decision until we had information to ensure, say, we’re not wasting our aquifer.”
Board member Jo Hochman said that some of the houses looked like they were too close to the New Jersey Turnpike and that the level of noise generated would be intolerable for residents, given that the Turnpike Authority has stated that it wouldn’t build soundwalls there.
“If you’re looking for feedback, I’d say take that whole row out. … I wouldn’t encourage anyone to even think about buying a house there,” said Hochman.
Linaz pointed out that there are homes built right near railroad tracks, which are even louder, and people don’t seem to have a problem with that.
“So, I understand your point, but there are other views,” said Linaz.
Southwick also expressed his hesitance regarding housing developments in that part of town.
“From a planning perspective, I’ve never been in favor of large subdivisions in our rural-residential part of town. … When you start building large subdivision there, we start extending all the infrastructure and services that the town has to offer – which are wonderful, but are also very expensive – and we’ll have to extend it miles away from what we might call the core of our services, and I find that to be difficult too,” said Southwick.
Some residents reacted to the concept plan with surprise at how little information was made available.
“I would have thought that the developer would have had more information on the constraints on the property, because that’s the problem, the environmental constraints. There are some serious, serious ones on this land,” said Jean Dvorak, a member of the Eastern Villages Association, a community organization opposed to the application and in favor of the farm’s preservation.
As an example, she noted the proposed development’s proximity to a state-protected water source, which requires a 300-foot buffer zone by law. Dvorak also said that there was an inaccuracy within the plan itself.
“They have the southern boundary listed as the PSE&G easement, for public services, but it’s not. First you have the Texas Eastern pipeline, then you have Jersey Central Power & Light and then you have public service, so I don’t know what they’re doing showing public service easements. So it makes them look like they haven’t even done their homework,” said Dvorak.
According to Frank Petrino, the attorney for Morris Realty Associates, the firm will unveil a fully engineered subdivision proposal next.
On the feedback he received that night, Petrino said, “There were a few helpful pieces of information that they shared – not a waste of time.”