Citizens for Informed Land Use (CILU) is a grassroots organization that seeks to protect Holmdel’s open spaces and its water supply. The CILU Board is carefully watching events related to the 472- acre Alcatel-Lucent tract. Somerset Development recently released a concept plan that contains 225 new homes spread throughout a large portion of this property. Both the excessive number of new homes and the lack of detail regarding reuse of the pre-existing buildings are disturbing, but allowable according to the redevelopment plan approved by the Holmdel Township Committee in 2012. The only way to correct these deficiencies is to fix them in a new redeveloper’s agreement, which is now being negotiated by the Township and Somerset. Here are some highlights of what CILU would like to be covered in this agreement.
There should be bulk requirements that limit new home construction to 40 homes situated within the oval of the main building, as originally presented by Somerset Development. This will eliminate the need to extend sewers beyond the existing building and also prevent lawsuits from other developers eager to extend sewers to other parts of the Swimming River Reservoir watershed. It will also protect the bucolic nature of this property by preventing sprawl development and minimizing polluted stormwater runoff.
As this tract’s existing main building is larger than the Freehold Raceway Mall, traffic will be a major concern. A solid requirement should be included in the redeveloper’s agreement to mandate against this tract’s excessive traffic generation onto the surrounding network of twolane roads, such as Crawfords Corner Road. This agreement should require an independent traffic analysis to demonstrate that this tract’s total permitted redevelopment will not lead to new traffic lights or widening of the roads surrounding the property.
The plan’s wording should be changed to “require” adaptive use of the main building, not merely “propose” it. Under the plan, we have the risk of voluminous home construction, which generally increases our municipal taxes, with no requirement for the developer to fill the existing main building with tax-producing businesses. The new agreement should pace the permitted amount of residential construction to strictly match the developer’s progress in renting portions of this main building. An independent economic analysis showing projected tax revenues and projected municipal service and school expenses should be required to ensure any homes constructed would generate substantially less expense than the tax revenue generated by rentals in the main building.
Conservation easements along the Ramanessin Brook and its tributaries (which lead into the Swimming River Reservoir) should be required to help protect our water supply.
The size and number of the “agerestricted homes” need to be greatly reduced to prevent the likely scenario in which the age restrictions are lifted via provisions in New Jersey law, bringing many more children into our school system. Very few senior citizens want the proposed 3,700- square-foot homes spanning three levels.
In summary, the township’s redevelopment plan is deficient because it lacks the means to limit the amount and types of development allowable on this property. It allows for the extension of sewers, which will result in sprawl development and impact the environment and bucolic nature of this property. Without corrections via the redevelopment agreement, this plan also negatively impacts the area’s future traffic and will lead to increased municipal and, most likely, school taxes. The Holmdel Township Committee members and township planner need to carefully address the redevelopment plan’s flaws and, with proper public input, correct these deficiencies in the upcoming redeveloper’s agreement. By doing so, they can promote the best use of this beautiful property and retain its bucolic nature while bringing good ratables to Holmdel.
Nancy Brilliant
Executive Board
Citizens for Informed Land Use
Holmdel