Petition regarding the proposed 56 Kitchell Road development in Harding Township

To the Mayor and Township Committee of the Township of Morris:

We, the undersigned residents of Morris Township, respectfully request a comprehensive and transparent review of the effects upon Morris Township of the proposed 54-unit affordable-housing development at 56 Kitchell Road in Harding Township, before Morris Township commits its sewer infrastructure or takes other municipal action necessary to serve the project.

We recognize New Jersey’s need for affordable housing and the legal obligations imposed upon municipalities to provide realistic opportunities for such housing. Therefore, this petition is not an objection to affordable housing or to the people who may ultimately reside at the development. Our concern is whether this site and the proposed infrastructure arrangements appropriately account for their effects upon Morris Township residents, municipal infrastructure and neighboring environmentally sensitive land.

The proposed development lies immediately adjacent to Morris Township. Public documents identify the project as consisting of 54 affordable rental residential units, together with an office building, and projects approximately 13,186 gallons per day of wastewater flow to the Morris Township Woodland Sewage Treatment Plant.

Harding Township’s own planning documents state that the property is not presently within its sewer-service area and is partially constrained by wetlands. Earlier Harding planning documents identify the site as adjoining Loantaka Brook Reservation and as being located within an Environmentally Sensitive Planning Area.

Because substantial impacts of this development located in Harding Township will extend into Morris Township, we request that the Morris Township Committee obtain and make publicly available sufficient information to answer the following questions before making any commitment concerning sewer service:

Sewer Infrastructure and Costs

What additional wastewater load will the project place upon Morris Township’s sewer collection and treatment system?

Is adequate treatment, collection, pumping and downstream capacity available without accelerating capital improvements?

Will connection of this project create any capital, operating, maintenance or replacement costs for Morris Township sewer users or taxpayers?

What connection fees, ongoing sewer charges, capital contributions and other payments will Harding Township or the developer be required to make?

Will Morris Township be financially protected from costs attributable to a development located in another municipality?

Environmental Effects

What portions of the property constitute regulated wetlands or wetlands transition areas?

What effects could development, stormwater infrastructure and sewer construction have upon adjoining wetlands, drainage systems and Loantaka Brook Reservation?

Have the environmental consequences to neighboring Morris Township properties and public open space been independently evaluated and determined to be safe and appropriate?

Traffic and Public Safety

How many daily and peak-hour automobile trips are projected from the completed development?

Which Morris Township roads and intersections will carry those trips, particularly Kitchell Rd and the Kitchell - Woodland intersection?

What effects are anticipated upon congestion, pedestrian and bicycle safety, emergency access and existing residential streets? Why have setback requirements been modified to allow building near the road? Morris Township should demand appropriate setbacks consistent to our neighborhood. Are the residents of this proposed development not worthy of this safety issue?

What road or intersection improvements would be required, and who would pay for them? Will sidewalks be extended along Woodland and Kitchell for pedestrian safety? Will speed bumps be installed on Kitchell to mitigate speeding or discourage traffic? Would these be at Harding’s expense?

Regional Planning and Alternatives

What alternative locations or development configurations were evaluated by Harding Township before selecting 56 Kitchell Road?

Why is it appropriate to squeeze 54 units, with no limited to the number of buildings, and a large parking lot? As a comparison the Farm project across the street is 24 units on over 8 acres. 56 Kitchell Rd is 6.6 acres with a large pond and wetland-sentive areas, cutting the possible buildable land to 1.6 acres.

Were the effects upon Morris Township residents and infrastructure considered during that evaluation?

As our representatives, why is this in Morris Township residents’ best interests?

We recognize Harding Township’s legal obligation to provide affordable housing. We likewise believe that municipal boundaries should not prevent careful consideration of environmental, infrastructure, financial, and traffic impacts that extend into a neighboring community. In addition, we point out that Harding Township, one of the wealthiest communities in the USA, consists of 20 square miles, (13,000 acres) with about 3,800 residents. (In contrast, Morris Township is about 16 square miles with approximately 23,000 residents.) The 56 Kitchell site cannot be Harding’s only option, but it certainly must qualify as a location that impacts Harding residents far less than the residents of Morris, Chatham, and Madison Townships.

Accordingly, we respectfully request that the Morris Township Committee:

Obtain and publicly disclose the relevant engineering, environmental, traffic safety and financial analyses concerning the 56 Kitchell Road development;

Commission independent review where necessary to determine its effects upon Morris Township;

Conduct a public hearing specifically addressing the project’s proposed use of Morris Township sewer infrastructure and its effects upon Morris Township residents; and

Make no commitment concerning sewer capacity or related municipal assistance until those issues have been fully examined in a transparent public process and appropriate protections for Morris Township and its residents have been established;

And determine that this development is in the best interests of Morris Township residents.

We respectfully request that this petition be entered into the public record and that the Township Committee address these concerns publicly before taking action concerning service to the proposed development.