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Health & Fitness

View From the Other Side: Who Enforces the Rules?

Developers' promises are not often kept in South Brunswick.

 

Time and time again, I have attended and participated in Planning Board and Zoning Board meetings as developers have presented cases to the Township for their projects. 

"Expert" witnesses including traffic engineers and environmental engineers make all kinds of claims and promises about how their projects will not be detrimental to the neighborhoods. And they make all kinds of statements about just how their operations will be run. 

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But once the projects are built, are those promises kept? 

Three cases in point:

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The Trammel Crow warehouses on Davidson Mill Road--there, one of the stipulations was that there would be no driveways out onto Davidson Mill Road as access would be onto Middlesex Boulevard, an internal road.  Less than a year later, a driveway was built opening directly onto Davidson Mill.

The CNJ warehouse, also on Davidson Mill Road, center of a large controversy about flooding into the State Park because of over stressed detention basins. A supposedly oversized infitration basin was constructed that promised to lessen the flooding by putting the bulk of the stormwater back into the aquifer on the warehouse side of the Turnpike, instead of draining it into the Park.

Not only has the flooding continued with the new basin, but the warehouse owners have repeatedly failed to keep the basin free of weeds and scrub brush as required by DEP maintenance standards. This growth stops proper infiltration. This basin is supposed to be empty of water 72 hours after a storm. As of last night, there was substantial water still in the basin, surrounding tall weeds. 

The WaWa at the end of Deans-Rhode Hall Road--WaWa representatives testified that WaWa did not sell diesel fuel when residents and board members questioned whether or not the project could become a "truck stop," specifically disallowed in the zoning ordinance.

Not only does the station sell diesel, but there are plenty of truck parking spaces behind the store which are constantly filled with tractor trailers. How long do the trucks park there? Unknown at this time, but some checking will be done. There were at least seven parked last night at around 9:30 p.m. 

I am sure these three examples are repeated over and over throughout the Township. It is very hard to enforce claims made during board hearings unless they are specifically set down as legal requirements, and even then, who, in the Township has the time, manpower, or money to chase after violations? And, if there is a violation, how can it be stopped?

If a developer promises no right turns out of his driveway, will the police need to sit there watching to make sure the rules are followed? If a stormwater basin needs cleaning, will Township officials have to stand by as weeds are pulled and sand is groomed after every one inch rainstorm? 

Developers will say almost anything at a hearing to gain approval for their projects. We all need to listen carefully to what the say and play "watchdog" to their promises. 

Otherwise, it's pretty clear that some day, some time in the future, those promises will come back to haunt us. 

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