To the attention of the 300,000 Monmouth County residents who receive their drinking water from the Swimming River Reservoir and Colts Neck wells, and to drivers who travel Rt. 537 between Rts. 18 and 34. 

The developers of the proposed Colts Neck Manor (CNM) are intent on overdeveloping 20 acres on Rt. 537 with 360 rental units, paved parking for approximately 700 vehicles and an on-site sewage/wastewater system which will disperse 71,500 gallons daily of wastewater effluent into dispersal fields on site.  Together with runoff resulting from improper flood water management, these waters will have a path to contaminate local wells and an onsite C1 Yellow Brook tributary to the Swimming River Reservoir.  

Additionally, a malfunction of the onsite sewage/wastewater system could create a serious, widespread environmental event.

The property upon which CNM would be constructed is diagonally across from Colts Neck Regional High School and 5 Points Sports Complex. Commercial, commuter and probationary drivers will share this burdened area of roadway. Numerous school and sporting events routinely create hazardous traffic conditions.  CNM's very substantial contribution to the volume of local traffic and poorly placed entry/exit points will create dangerously complex driving patterns and gridlock that will increase the probability of vehicular and vehicular/pedestrian accidents and will also inhibit the timely delivery of emergency services to area residents. 

We must act now since the Monmouth County Amendment Review Committee, the County's Planning Board and the NJDEP are well into the process of allowing the present 20,000 gpd (gallons per day) limit of effluent to be exceeded by approximately 300%.  The current recommendation would allow 71,500 gpd of effluent to be discharged into designated areas on CNM’s site. We must bring concerns regarding our drinking water safety to the attention of the Monmouth Board of Commissioners and the DEP before they give a final approval to this wastewater modification.  We must question whether all agencies involved were aware of  these circumstances as we progressed to this point.  Did they know:  (1) There is presently an issue at Earle with possible contamination of residents' wells from PFAS, the forever chemicals; and (2) Investigations are ongoing regarding the leaching of PFAS chemicals into the ground from very large AstroTurf fields at the sports fields and the regional high school across from the proposed CNM.  The PFAS chemicals contained in effluent from CNM’s wastewater system and in the runoff waters at this complex cannot be filtered out through soil. The cumulative effect of these situations would be unacceptable.  

Please add your signature to this petition as an interested party standing against Colts Neck Manor as it is presently proposed.  Monmouth County officials, the NJDEP and Governor Murphy must prioritize the protection of their constituents above all else.

Marianne Cucolo, founder of the Concerned Citizens of CN

Access to safe drinking water is an internationally recognized human right.