The Hamilton Township Zoning Board heard testimony from Barry Sutherland, engineer with TRC Engineers, Inc., and Norman Kammeraad, CEO of the Michigan-basedTriad Environmental Services, which accor
HAMILTON — Contamination and stormwater management were hot topics in the continuing application heard Tuesday night that could, if approved, allow Kingdom Church to build on Kuser Road.
The Hamilton Township Zoning Board heard testimony from Barry Sutherland, engineer with TRC Engineers, Inc., and Norman Kammeraad, CEO of the Michigan-basedTriad Environmental Services, which according to its website, specializes in environmental auditing.
Both witnesses testified on behalf of the applicant, Kingdom Church, a non-denominational church that returned to the board in November seeking to build a 51,017-square-foot church, with 254 parking spots at 2367 Kuser Road.
The applicant is seeking a use variance, various waivers and preliminary and final site plan.
The facility will include 1,000 seats. According to testimony from church officials, roughly 1,300 worshippers attend two Sunday services at the church’s current worshipping site in Ewing.
Mr. Sutherland testified regarding stormwater management at the site.
During cross-examination Michele Donato, an attorney representing Kuser Community Association, which is opposing the application, questioned the level to which Mr. Sutherland had examined data as it relates to the application.
In response, Mr. Sutherland acknowledged he had reviewed various reports and some transcripts from previous testimony, but he had not performed specific calculations to be able to respond to all Ms. Donato’s questions.
Francis Goeke, engineer for the application, was not in attendance for the hearing Tuesday evening. However, the applicant agreed to have Mr. Goeke available to address Ms. Donato’s queries at an upcoming hearing.
Mr. Kammeraad testified regarding possible contamination of the site, acknowledging that a licensed site remediation professionals had previously discovered pesticides, oils and heavy metals on site beyond amounts allowed by statutory requirements.
However, he said subsequent reviews found the contaminants in allowable amounts.
”We evaluated both of the areas that the LSRP previously sampled and the oil and pesticide area were non-detect, according to the engineer that worked on the property,” he said, adding that heavy metals found at the site appeared to be typical metals found in soils in New Jersey.
He testified that Triad performed a record search, looked at historical data, had an engineer make a site visit and executed “leeching” tests on samples with heavy metal contamination.
During cross-examination, Mr. Kammeraad acknowledged neither he nor the Triad engineer is a licensed site remediation professional or engineer in the state of New Jersey.
Ms. Donato also asked the witness if he was aware about state Department of Environmental communications recommending additional soil tests and excavation of soils of up to two feet in areas of the site.
Mr. Kammeraad said he was not aware, prompting Arnold Lakind, an attorney representing the applicant, to request a copy of the communication, which Ms. Donato said was attached to the DEP wetlands permit.
Mr. Lakind said while was familiar with the wetlands permit, he was not familiar with the recommendations for remediation.
Also at the meeting, neighbors of the proposed site reiterated their opposition, mostly relating to traffic concerns.
Residents also suggested that costs to facilitate a potential expansion of Kuser Road as a result of the application would be paid by taxpayers not the church.
Resident Joe Schimento reiterated his comments at a previous meeting that he had no problem with the church itself, but felt it was simply in the wrong place.
Like other residents did previously, Mr. Schimento also suggested church officials have not been forthright as it relates to the number of events to occur at the facility.
Church officials have said, if approved, the Hamilton site, would host a Wednesday night Bible study.
The church also currently leases space in a school for a Burlington location. Pastor Dharius Daniels testified the church is under contract to purchase a permanent facility elsewhere in that community.
The application previously contained a second phase to construct a 27,010-square-foot fellowship hall, but that portion of the application is no longer being pursued.
To accommodate the nearly residents and church congregates, the meeting was held in the Nottingham High School auditorium, previous meetings were held at the Nottingham Ballroom.

