Setting the
Record Straight
By Peter and
Gretchen Gonzales
Guest Columnists
Bloomingdale
Residents
Sunday, March 14, 2004
Since filing a
protest petition on February 23 to the
Borough of Bloomingdale, I have been repeatedly misquoted by Jon
Dunleavy regarding
my statement about the Morse
Lakes
dam.
I stated [to
Councilman Jonathan Dunleavy that evening]: “If
no developer were to take place, there would be no dam problems.” This
has
always been my opinion and remains so.
The filing of a
protest petition is working within the law
to protect the rights of those directly affected by extreme
over-development
(over 400 units with a retail component on the horse farm). Under
current
zoning, only 160 units are allowed, with no retail.
As Jon stated,
this zoning has been in place for 25 years.
This was understood by past governing bodies as appropriate. The fact
that this
development proposal blows out of the water 25 years of reasonable
thinking
should cause everyone to stop and reconsider what is at stake.
Not only will it
diminish the quality of life of those
living in the Morse Lakes Community, but it will set the town up for
further
over-development, as has just occurred on the Intellect property. This
property
was originally zoned for five units, then actually approved for eight
units.
The builder asked for 10 units. The developers stated that the property
(classified as R130) could legally support 17 units, implying that
those
objecting to this many units should consider them selves lucky!
It is my
understanding that a “Builder’s Remedy” is viable
only when the parcel in question is within a town center designation.
How
convenient it is that the borough of Bloomingdale has just petitioned
the OSG
to amend our town center to also include the horse farm. (This would be
a
first!)
The borough
claims it needs tax stabilization. It most
certainly should have been able to provide it for its residents through
the
sale of its excess sewer capacity. Butler
has successfully gone through this process to the tune of two million
dollars.
This represents a savings of $500,000 per year for four years. This is
significant, since Jon stated that the fixed increases in
Bloomingdale’s budget
are $500,000 a year.
Why hasn’t
Bloomingdale already sold its sewer capacity
rights? To whose advantage is it for the borough to hold onto them?
Builders
have to find and pay for sewer capacity if none exist. Again, how
convenient it
has been for the borough to keep these sewer rights while its residents
have to
come with the lost revenue the sewer rights would have generated.
Regarding COAH,
the town could apply for and submit a “lack
of land adjustment” which Wanaque has successfully done. It could also
have
used the money it is currently spending on a new ladder trick, which we
may not
need if the horse farm is not allowed to proceed. This would have
satisfied
over thirty units of our obligation and also showed the OSG that we are
acting
in good faith to resolve our current shortfall.
Why is there
such a rush to pass this rezoning on the 16th
of March? Governor McGreevey’s Highlands Task Force is set to announce
its
recommendation in mid-March. The town should wait and hear what these
recommendations are. To whose advantage is it to pass the rezoning
ordinance
prior to the task Force report? The builder, not the residents.
By pushing for
the passage of this ordinance, the governing
body is putting all of its eggs in one basket. Why hasn’t it explored
other
methods of providing tax stabilization? Our residents are being
short-changed.
This proposed
development is still years away from providing
any tax stabilization, given the multiple obstacles it faces (amending
the Town
Center, EPA approvals, illegally filled-in lake—contents unknown,
outside sewer
service area, county approvals, etc.)
In closing, it
is still not too late for the governing body
of Bloomingdale to stop, reexamine and consider the true ramifications
of the
passage of this ordinance.
***
Other responses to Mr. Dunleavy's include Regina
Connell's letter and a letter by Councilwoman
Sue Smith.