By Audrey Levine Staff Writer
HILLSBOROUGH — Citing concerns about the effect of construction in a flood-prone area, Planning Board members and some nearby residents said the East Course of the Royce Brook Golf Club is an inappropriate location for the 1,500-unit continuing care retirement community planned by Erickson Communities at the Sept. 25 meeting.
”The drainage problems in that area and the Claremont neighborhoods are issues (especially with flooding),” said Planning Board member Mike Merdinger at a meeting Sept. 25, when Erickson representatives were present to hear comments on the proposed concept plan.
Of greatest concern was a previously submitted report from the Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Association, a planning body overseeing development along the watershed, which found that Erickson has not been forthcoming about its plans in reports made to the state.
In addition, the report indicates that volatile organic chemicals (VOC) were detected in the septic effluent on the property, nine times between January 2001 and January 2008. According to guidelines from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), this violates rules that ban discharging pollutants into waterways without a permit.
The report states that Erickson’s proposal does not outline these violations.
Richard Baummer, director of site development services for Erickson, said that the company was aware of the VOC contamination in the area.
”There is an inference in the report that we were not aware,” he said. “It was recommended to us that we conduct a phase two subsurface analysis to make sure there is no contamination. We found that there is no existing contamination in the groundwater.”
Planning Board member Art Stafford Taylor questioned how Erickson planned to implement stormwater strategies, which he didn’t find outlined in the plan. He said he was uncomfortable discussing a concept plan that didn’t address any issues with the soil, but Erickson representatives said they believe the soil can handle the stormwater.
”We disagree with the Watershed that there is anything in the soil that prevents us from complying with the regulations,” Mr. Baummer said. “We did not feel there was anything in the soil that would prevent the plan from moving forward. We could come back with a revised concept plan.”
But of main concern to the residents was the effect the new development would have on the Claremont neighborhood’s new sewer system, and possible flooding from additional runoff.
The Claremont neighborhood has been working with the township since 2004 to be included in the state’s Wastewater Management Plan, which provides planning for wastewater and water quality in New Jersey. The neighborhood was allowed to begin work on the system in July 2007 after residents working with Hillsborough Health Officer Glen Belnay were able to prove that they have major health concerns from previously relying on septic systems.
Erickson representatives have said the retirement community would be included in the countywide plan for sewer systems.
Still, some residents questioned how Erickson plans to be included on the wastewater plan.
”Erickson approached me and said they want to leverage the health clause the Claremont community used to get the sewer system,” said Tom O’Donnell, of Anne Street, and representative of the Claremont Community Inc., which has spoken out against the Erickson proposal. “I was told that only a community with a health risk could go on the Wastewater Management Plan.”
Tony McCracken, assistant county planning director, said after the meeting that the state is currently requiring counties to gather information from its municipalities about locations that are already included in the Wastewater Management Plan, which will be compiled in late spring or early summer 2009. Until then, he said, the state is not accepting any amendments to the plan.
Despite this mandate, Mr. McCracken said an amendment for the Claremont neighborhood was hastily approved by the state because of the health hazards of continuing to use septic systems.
”But they are not entertaining any more amendments until the plan is done,” he said.
The Erickson community, he said, can submit a request in spring 2009 at the earliest.
According to Gary Nucera, executive director of the Hillsborough Municipal Authority, a community cannot reserve capacity for a sewer system with the Somerset Raritan Valley Sewerage Authority, which maintains sewer capacity for the county.
”Somerset may not have the capacity, even if Hillsborough does,” he said in a separate interview. “Capacity can be different for different areas.”
Ronald Anastasio, facility engineer with the Somerset Raritan Valley Sewerage Authority, said on Friday that there is a first-come- first-served policy regarding capacity.
”It is a moving target because it is based on existing flow and varies with seasonal changes,” he said. “Applications (to be part of the sewer system) are sent in and then we have to judge if we have space.”
For these reasons, it would be difficult to determine in advance if the Erickson development which, if approved, would not break ground until at least 2010 would be able to connect into the sewer system.
Beth Bresnahan, spokeswoman for Erickson, said Monday Billy Casper Golf, which owns the Royce Brook Golf Club, has submitted a request to be included in the township’s Wastewater Management Plan, but has not yet received a response.
In addition to trying to tap into the sewer system, representatives have said Erickson has expressed its intent to pay the $25,000 required for each resident to hook into the new Claremont sewer system, for which many residents are appreciative.
”When this first came up, and I saw the prices for the sewers, I didn’t know why each family was being charged $25,000,” Martin Korab, of Claremont Drive, said at the meeting. “Erickson is like a breath of fresh air.”
An Onka Drive resident said he asked members of Claremont Community Inc. if there were plans for pursuing other ways of paying for the hook up charges if the Erickson proposal is not approved. He said he was told there are not, and he is glad that Erickson is willing to foot the bill.
Doug Eden, of Anne Street, said that residents should not necessarily count on Erickson paying the bill because there has not yet been a formal proposal and, if approved, it would take several years before the project was up and running.
”This could take five years (or more),” he said. “I don’t want people to be misinformed.”
Aside from the sewer system, most residents have expressed worry about flooding in the Claremont neighborhood and other properties, and how the Erickson community could affect that.
”We have a high water table and overflowing streams,” Mr. O’Donnell said. “There are serious environmental issues.”
Millstone Borough Mayor Ray Heck said he wondered what the Erickson community could do to his small town, which always feels the effects of heavy rains at the Millstone River. He said he is concerned that additional runoff could increase flooding in Millstone.
Mary Courtier, of Millstone River Road, agreed.
”Our biggest concern is water runoff, and Erickson seems to be pushing that aside,” she said. “We will get a huge runoff from all the impervious land. We can’t take more flooding.”