Robert Kecskes, chairman
Citizens For Tax Choice
The vote on the referendum about the ELSA sewer bond ordinance, slated for May 8, is about all taxpayers in Hopewell Township paying for a service that is strictly the obligation of users — sewer capacity. The majority of the Township Committee voted for $4.1 million of sewering for commercial users and affordable housing south of the Pennington Circle (not residences), twice as much as needed.
However, those who want the bond ordinance referendum to pass are putting forward scare stories of “builder’s remedies,” which would allow more housing than what the zoning would allow. They argue that the state-mandated Hopewell Township Affordable Housing Plan would immediately be out of compliance if the ordinance is rejected on May 8. A developer would then sue the township and use the “builder’s remedy” to construct up to 3,500 new homes. Is this the truth?
The fact of the matter is that the state methodology used to determine how many affordable housing units should be built in each town has been challenged and is before the NJ Supreme Court. In fact, the township’s most-recently submitted affordable housing plan, which employed the state methodology, cannot even be approved until the challenge is resolved. It will be many months, if not a year or two, before the Court rules on this issue and the township knows with any level of certainty how many affordable units would be required in the township. In light of this fact, a developer cannot successfully prevail with the “builder’s remedy” that sewer bond supporters are fearfully advocating. Builders would not be constructing subdivisions in your backyard if you vote “no” on the referendum.
Opponents of the bond ordinance, of which I am one, argue that approximately 500 new homes could be built on developable lots in the southern tier of the township if the bond ordinance passes (if you vote yes on May 8). How did I arrive at that number? Go to the township website (http://www.hopewelltwp.org) and go to ELSA Sewer Proposal and click Final ELSA Proposal 11-19-11. Compare slides 2 with 3. This shows you a map of the areas that originally were proposed for required sewers (slide 2) with a map of areas that are not now required by the ordinance to connect to the sewers due to the high connection cost (slide 3).
When the committee agreed not to require those neighborhoods to tie into the sewers, it essentially created a “surplus” of twice the sewerage capacity needed — enough to build about 500 new homes.
Now, if you were a developer, and you noticed that desirable southern Hopewell Township had a surplus sewerage capacity without a designated use for that capacity, what would you do? One can rest assured that this surplus capacity is on their radar screens at this very moment.
So, the main reason to vote no on May 8 is so your taxes don’t go up on May 9 because this bond ordinance requires taxpayers in the township to pay $4.1 million for far more capacity than any planned users will pay for. And secondarily, vote no so that developers don’t rush in to grab that excess capacity for 500 or so new homes.
For more information on the ELSA bond ordinance referendum, see our website at www.elsareferendum.org. Please vote no on May 8. No new taxes.
