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Byram opposes Hopatcong housing
By Joseph Harkins
BYRAM-Within its 300 acres of steep slopes, rock
outcrops, ridge tops, and thins soils covered by dense mixed hardwood and
chestnut oak forests, a red maple swamp occupies wetlands along a tributary
to Lubber's Run, an aquatic border to Hopatcong and Byram. Ask Donna Griff,
the Byram councilperson. She knows the area well.
"Just walk that area," she said. "It's actually one of the
most pristine areas."
Griff has no problem with growth, however, a proposed senior housing
development for the area off Sparta-Stanhope Road, that -- she and her
colleagues say -- is out of the question.
The Byram Township Council unanimously passed a resolution last week opposing
the Village Grande at Hopatcong, the 662 units of apartments, town homes, and
single-family dwellings under consideration by the neighboring borough's
planning board, which was scheduled to hear a summary of the project Tuesday.
"The environmental impact to Byram would be substantial," said
Louis Esposito Jr., a Byram councilperson and chairperson of the township
Open Space Committee. "It's bad for us. We don't understand how Byram
can be within the core of the HThe recently enacted Highlands legislation
severely restricts building on thousands of acres in the northwest part of New Jersey. Byram is among six towns in the entirely preserved Highlands region.
Esposito said the township fought hard for the preservation act so that
future generations could enjoy the region's rugged natural landscapes of
streams, wetlands, lakes, forests, and deep slopes.
"It's not something Byram
is interested in having; it's right across the street," said Esposito,
alluding to the proposed site. "In this part of the state, we should be
trying to protect land that is environmentally sensitive, not develop
it."
The Hopatcong Planning Board was scheduled to hear a
summary of the project Tuesday, but the developer, DR Horton, requested an
extension to allow for additional time to address sewer and water issues.
"We have not taken a position on this because
the project has changed dramatically over time," said Richard Hodson, Hopatcong mayor. "Who knows what they will finally propose and there's all kinds of
details to be talked about once they propose something. There are so many
things that have not been presented."
Hodson said plans originally called for 1,500 units
on close to 800 acres of property at three sites on both sides of Sparta-Stanhope Road.
"This project may die under its own
weight," said Hodson. "We haven't asked anyone to jump through
hoops. The borough can't take a position yet. If this was something the
borough was trying to sneak through, it would have been wrapped up a few
meetings ago."
County residents opposed to the project fear
development on the privately owned land will destroy the rustic environment,
displace wildlife, limit water supplies, and increase traffic on already
congested roadways.
"It's a huge project on a large piece of
undeveloped land," said Margaret McGarrity, a member of the Byram
environmental and open space committees. "It's going to generate an
awful lot of traffic and a lot of other negative consequences."
A traffic expert for DR Horton, the project's
developer, has stated that approximately 1,500 cars or more will be added to
nearby roadways.
Not everyone is against the proposed development.
Stanhope, another neighbor, is ironing out plans to sell spare sewage
capacity to Hopatcong for the project as well as an easement for a water
pipeline to support the site.
"They don't even have drinking water or sewage
to support it," said Griff. "It all comes down to regional
planning. What can we sustain? This is an area that should be protected from
this kind of aggressive development."
The resolution will be sent to the Sussex County
Board of Chosen Freeholders, Stanhope, Hopatcong, the New Jersey Department
of Environmental Protection, the Highlands Council, and the Musconetcong
Sewage Authority.
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