EDITORIAL: Washington should join Plumsted, Upper Freehold, Allentown, Millstone and Hamilton in the project.
By:
Washington Township should join the crowd.
The township was supposed to be a member of a municipal coalition seeking to preserve stream water quality in the Crosswicks Creek watershed area. Plumsted, Upper Freehold, Allentown, Millstone and Hamilton also are involved in the project.
Now, Washington is unsure whether it will participate. The six municipalities were planning to pool $17,500 of which Washington was to contribute $2,500 to match a state Department of Environmental Protection grant. The money would be used to develop a plan to protect stream corridors and water quality, promote public access to the stream corridors and protect historic vistas.
Crosswicks Creek does not flow through Washington, although part of the watershed is in the southern portion of the township near the warehouse district. Some officials are concerned that the study could lead to environmental regulations that could hurt business there business sorely needed by the township as it tries to balance commercial and residential growth.
Others have said the DEP already is conducting studies on water quality, and the coalition’s efforts would be duplicative.
But the coalition’s study will proceed whether or not Washington’s in the group. If potential environmental problems are brought to light, it would benefit the township to have a voice on the panel.
The township is going to face a financial strain in the future, particularly with construction of a $50 million high school on the horizon, so it’s understandable that officials want to spend money as prudently as possible. But $2,500 seems a small price to pay to become involved in a regional project of this nature.
Township officials often have cried out for regional planning particularly when it involves large-scale projects such as the Hamilton Marketplace shopping facility that will be located across Washington’s border with Hamilton.
If Washington turns its back on its neighbors now, it would be difficult to take seriously future pleas for a regional approach. The message would be clear regional planning only matters when it is to our benefit.
Committeeman Jack Mozloom has led the charge in trying to get Washington to participate in the watershed group. He is right. And his colleagues should follow his example and vote to approve the township’s involvement with the group.