Stop the Quarry Plan in Basking Ridge

For years, we knew that the Millington Quarry's mining operations would cease. Through the guidance and stewardship of past Bernards Township and Planning Board Committees, 2-acre residential zoning for the quarry was built into the Master Plan for when development commenced. The current Township Committee (TC) is now abandoning this foresight and attempting to quickly and quietly re-zone the 180-acre quarry off Stonehouse Road in order to green-light developers and their plan for the over-development of the site with a large-scale and high-density mixed-use project that will destroy the beloved, quiet character of Basking Ridge as we know it. Furthermore, the 45-acres of contamination has not been properly remediated, but our TC is rushing to push this plan through. This ill-conceived version for mixed-use development is available on bernards.org and includes:

• 235 RESIDENCES
• 250 ROOM HOTEL
• 2 RESTAURANTS
• 140,000 SF of RETAIL SPACE
• 60,000 SF of OFFICE SPACE
• GROCERY STORE
• At least TWO entrances off Stonehouse Road and a THIRD off Tall Timber/Pond Hill Roads (Stonehouse will have to be widened to accommodate increased traffic!)
• A "lake" and boardwalk with $1M annual maintenance tab

The impact is significant. Our roads, our schools, our town infrastructure and emergency services, OUR WAY OF LIFE AND WHY WE MOVE, LIVE AND STAY HERE are at stake. There is an opportunity to right this wrong, but the TC is simply not listening.
Responsible, thoughtful development, if any, with true public input, is what we deserve! There are MANY other options that deserve to be heard, for example:

Solar farm – we could be the first in our area to do something renewable!

NO zoning change – or raise bonds to purchase or keep open green space, which could include walking trails.

Low-density development – considerably scaled-down and responsible, which could include 55+ housing and residential special needs housing, and other light-use NEEDS.

In the end, it should be something that has minimal to no impact on schools, roads, police, fire, EMS. It should be a plan that DOES NOT HURT our existing retail businesses and hotels in town—we value them! It should be a plan that respects town residents who have invested in their properties and want assurances that the preservation of their investments is more important than the promised investments to developers. And above all, it must preserve the small town feel we all love about Basking Ridge.

Let's not forget too….what our Mayor Carolyn Gaziano said at the start of 2017:

"…what makes someone driving through town stop and say, wow, this is a beautiful town? I suggest that it is the rural character which we still maintain, it's the houses surrounded by gardens, grass and trees, the colonial architecture. The abundance of open space. It is the fact that we do not have houses and buildings built right up next to each other, or an overabundance of impervious coverage. It is the fact that we do not allow lighted or neon signs."

"In 2017 I will once again focus on land use ordinances in Bernards Township to make sure they are strong and clear, that they help us maintain the character of our town and adhere to our master plan. We will not allow establishments or developers to bully us with scare tactics and lawsuits, or to disregard our laws jeopardizing the safety and the tranquility enjoyed by Bernards' residents. We will not allow manipulation of the law to avoid local land use ordinances and usurp local regulations. We will ensure that laws are applied to everyone fairly and equally." 

Sign this petition and demand that the TC listen! Start a process with REAL PUBLIC INPUT through open public workgroups, so that we can all develop a strategy for no or small-scale, responsible development AFTER remediation and one that preserves the small-town quality of life we love about Basking Ridge. We ask that:

1. The Township Committee vote to cancel the Draft Ordinance #2374 - There should be no rezone at this point in time.

2. The Township Committee vote to reject the draft concept plan presented by Community Investment Partners (Shopoff) on October 24, 2017.

3. The Township Committee vote to rescind Resolution #2017-015 passed on February 28, 2017 which designates Millington Quarry Inc. as a non-condemnation redevelopment area.

4. The Township Committee direct all future redevelopment proposals for Millington Quarry that do not conform to the current zoning and 2010 Master Plan to the Planning Board and be discussed during open, public input sessions.

PLEASE visit us at our STOP THE QUARRY PLAN Facebook Page and www.stopthequarryplan.com