New construction around Towpath Apartments/Rte 517?

Behind qc they are talking about building homes

Michael ✉
Apr '21

That's breaks my heart. I have so much wildlife in my back yard and it brings me joy to look out my windows every day. It's one of the few things that I need in life. If the land is destroyed, I may have to move. I know a lot of improvements have been made to our little town, but must they find every open piece of land and build on it? Not to mention all the vacant buildings from businesses that closed down. So sad. :(

NatureLover85 ✉
Apr '21

This is Independence, you can read the minutes of the meetings here.

http://independencenj.com/land-use-board/land-use-board/

Application started at the May 2017 meeting.

Unfortunately for Hackettstown, Our neighboring towns love to build right at our borders so they can hook up to the HMUA water lines.

Jim L. ✉
Apr '21

I don't think it's fair to say that "neighboring towns love to build right at our borders". It's the developers who choose the locations, precisely because there is water and sewer connections available. Otherwise they would have to build their own sewer treatment plants and water companies. And we know developers don't want to invest in anything like that. It would diminish their greedy quest for profit.

Lonesome Dove ✉
Apr '21

I think you're correct, Stymie.

Lonesome Dove ✉
Apr '21

it was approved in August 2017(again Independence town's Land Use Board). the HMUA application has been completed and dealt with.

the meetings of the HMUA meeting are here
http://hmua.com/meetings/MIN%2011-13-18.pdf

and again here
http://hmua.com/meetings/MIN%2003-12-19.pdf

Jim L. ✉
Apr '21

There is irony here:

HMUA's now defunct reservoir was not in Hackettstown, wasn't even in Warren County. HMUA is now reliant on wells that are scattered around; some of which are not in Hackettstown or Warren County.

HMUA's sewage treatment plant isn't in Hackettstown or Warren County either.

Many of the surrounding towns have areas that fall into the Highlands (Highlands Act is supposed to protect recharge areas for groundwater) which is exactly the water that the HMUA is drawing into their wells. So, HMUA is and always has been heavily reliant on the surrounding municipalities to be able to operate/provide services to the residents of Hackettstown.

The irony continues in that the area that can be developed (subject of this thread) is currently "forested" while a piece of property that sits directly opposite on the other side of Rt 517 was cleared, utilities run, soil compacted and retaining walls erected but was not "complete" enough to be finished when the Highlands Act was established sits untouched and incomplete as it is now in the Highlands Preservation Zone. So instead of saying " the damage is done let this project finish up, the State (DEP/Highlands Council) has said that it makes more sense to "deforest" and build housing on a piece of property that cant be more than 200 ft away from the unfinished project. A component of the never to be completed project was to align the Old Allamuchy Rd/517/Bilbly Road intersection which would have increased safety and cut down on people cutting through parking lots to get onto 517 North or traveling down to the intersection by Fulton Bank to make a left onto 517 (Cant make left onto Rt 517 at Northern terminus of Old Allamuchy Rd)


Ultimately, the Highlands Act will keep areas that we love undeveloped but it is the lack of common sense and to some degree, the lack of science that draw the ire of residents. Oh, and lets not forget that the owners of the properties in the Highlands Preservation Zone have not been compensated while protecting water for others to pump from the ground and sell to residents. And if the DEP comes along and buys the property (which they have been doing here and there) the municipality loses the ratable while the State piles on more unfunded mandates and cuts school aid.

Sorry for the tirade but it is frustrating situation.

summerhelp ✉
Apr '21