By Andy Pritikin
Please join us next Tuesday night, June 26, at 6pm in the Mansfield Township Municipal Building- for the Department of Environmental Protection Public Hearing for the Mansfield Township Water Management Plan, in response to our petition from last August.
Liberty Lake has a rich history of serving families in our community for over fifty years, through it’s popular summer day camp, picnic grove, and the many special events hosted through the years, including charity fundraisers, community days, and the popular New Jersey Renaissance Faire.
Unfortunately, Liberty Lake is located in the basin of a 4200 acre watershed, and has a history of flooding during heavy rains. Besides being at the basin of the watershed, Crafts Creek, which runs through Liberty Lake, takes a 90 degree turn in the middle of the property and backs up quickly at the Rt. 295 culvert across the entire lower property. Crafts Creek has been compromised by years of new home development upstream, increasing it’s flow rate tremendously when it rains. Fortunately, because of the surrounding farm fields, the flooding recedes and returns to normal after a few hours.
The proposed construction of a 876,000 square foot warehouse directly north of Liberty Lake, as well as three other warehouses to the west- with a combined total of 20 million square feet of impervious surface (asphalt, roofing and concrete)- GREATLY concerns us. The millions of gallons of water that have been absorbed by farm fields, will now be directed into catch basins, which will flow into an already backed-up Crafts Creek, flooding Liberty Lake quicker and faster, with potentially devastating results.
The stormwater plans reviewed by the DEP were created by the developer’s consultants for the sole purpose of constructing the warehouse project. Our engineer, representatives from the DEP, and most everyone who has been onto the Liberty Lake property feel that the developer’s plans are overly optimistic. The DEP did not closely scrutinize the stormwater plans- They checked if proper protocol was followed by the developer’s engineer, and then passed it on to the township engineers to examine further. Unfortunately, the township planning board had no interest in looking into our issues at the preliminary approval meeting, and after 4 years have never addressed our concerns- obviously because it jeopardizes a huge tax ratable for them. Last summer we were visited by the township engineer, six months ago we were promised that the planning board engineers would address our concerns- but we have not heard back from anyone, despite our pleas. Hopefully the DEP can force their hand, or look into these issues as well.
This specific hearing deals with our protest that the warehouse plan is included in the townships “Water Management Plan,” under the developer’s overstated assumptions and the township’s failure to address our valid concerns. Until our concerns are addressed, we remain in fear that the repercussions of this warehouse development will jeopardize the future of Liberty Lake, and the children and families who enjoy it every summer. The short term gains of tax revenue should not jeopardize one of the most unique and beloved landmarks in our area- and the stormwater issues of an environmentally sensitive area should not be further compromised. Please come by at 6pm to show support, and voice your concerns straight to the DEP. If this WMP passes as is, it validates and supports the plans of the developer, and gives them permission to flood away the future of Liberty Lake. More information at www.WeLoveLibertyLake.com

