For Immediate Release
Contact Jeff Tittel, 609-558-9100
The Bernard Township Committee is expected to vote to withdraw the resolution for redevelopment of the 183-acre Millington Quarry. The initial redevelopment plan included 235 units of apartments, townhouses, single-family detached dwellings and flats, a hotel with 100 to 250 sleeping rooms, 60,000 square feet of office space, and 140,000 square feet of retail space. This will add thousands of cars a day in and out of the site.
We thank the council for withdrawing the redevelopment proposal and supporting the environment. The initial plans encourage sprawl and over development for the town and will contribute to traffic congestion and air pollution for the town. Redevelopment plans for the Millington Quarry should be compatible to the site and community without encouraging sprawl or overdevelopment. The town needs go to back and do it right”, said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club.
The vote will be taken at a meeting 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 24, in the Performing Arts Center of Ridge High School.
“The high-density plan will have negative impacts on both air quality and public health. The town needs to go back and plan for the site so that it is first properly cleaned up and restored and then come up for a proposal for development that would fit in with the character of the community” said Jeff Tittel.
In the resolution to be decided Wednesday, the township committee is expected to withdraw the designation of the quarry property as a redevelopment area, reject an ordinance changing the quarry's zoning and keeping the present zoning in effect.
“Given the history of the property, we need to make sure the site is cleaned up properly for residential development. We should not be pushing for such a large development on a former superfund site. “The redevelopment plan should instead focus on things like public transportation,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. “It is important that people come out to the meeting to demand for a development proposal that would fit in with the character of the community.”