Thursday April 13, 2023 at 7:00 PM at the Hillsborough Municipal Building Courtroom

Your Attendance at Planning Board Meetings Demonstrates Community Concerns
189/203 Homestead Road (largest of 7 proposed warehouses)
The application for 189/203 Homestead Road is for the approval of consolidating those 2 lots to build 2 warehouses totaling the size of NINE football fields as a 24-hour operation. The Planning Board and the township professionals noted that there were too many unknowns due to three NJDEP investigations, numerous changes to the plans, and unknown uses in the proposed warehouses. The review for Homestead Road, LLC, application was postponed until April 13th. 
303 Amwell Road
The warehouse at 303 Amwell Road is near where a fatal drowning in a car occurred during Hurricane Ida. While the Applicant made revisions, it’s still a proposed warehouse where trucks will access by driving over a pipeline. 
We need residents to ask questions about the testimony given at each Planning Board meeting. Residents can only ask general questions about the overall development after all the expert testimonies have been given. That’s why it’s important to attend all meetings related to the warehouses.

Update on All Seven Proposed Warehouses

Seven warehouses have been proposed in Hillsborough and will be reviewed by the Planning Board through June. The plans for the warehouses encompass over ONE MILLION square feet which add more impervious surfaces in areas that are already flood-prone. 
Warehouses should NOT be located in residential areas and flood-prone areas. They generate heavy truck traffic, diesel fumes, noise, and flooding due to extensive impervious cover. Please attend Planning Board meetings to effectively voice your concerns!
Weston Road
At the Planning Board meeting on 03-23-23 for the proposed warehouse on Weston Road, the objector’s attorney and engineers who represented the Hearthstone community had disagreements on drainage issues in the Applicant’s plan. The next meeting is on Thursday May 4th when more testimony will be presented that residents should respond to. 
279 Homestead Road
At the last Planning Board meeting for the proposed warehouse at 279 Homestead Road, the applicant (Redcom) revised the original proposed warehouse size from 137,413 square feet to 132,750 square feet which is a 3.4% reduction on a lot that is in the back of Stryka Botanica which they would purchase and therefore have access to Homestead Road. This was their solution for non-conformance by not having street frontage initially. The applicant must present additional paperwork and clarification regarding the sale or lease of the property to the Planning Board. The next meeting for this warehouse is 05-11-23 when their architect and traffic expert will testify. 
What You Can Do
BE INFORMED!
Hillsborough Warehouse Information Session
Tuesday April 18th, 2023 from 6:00 - 7:30 PM at the Hillsborough Library Multipurpose Room
Sponsored by Hillsborough SWAT (Stop Warehouses and Trucks)
Residents will learn the status of each proposed warehouse and can ask questions in an informal environment.
Attend the Stop Warehouses and Trucks RALLY 
Saturday April 22nd, 2023 from 1:00 - 3:00 PM at Nelson’s Corner
We are holding a Rally at the corner of Route 206 and Amwell Road (Rain Date is April 29th).  Let your voice be heard.  Bring signs, your family, neighbors, and friends!  Your voice can make a difference!

Donate Funds to Hire Experts 
It is unfortunate that residents need to hire lawyers, planners, traffic experts, and stormwater experts to respond to the developers’ allegations. The greatest need for donations to hire professionals is for 189/203 Homestead Road.   Your donation to SWAT helps preserve our quality of life, safety of our residents, and property values. Checks must be made out to SWAT.  Indicate in the memo line whether you want to donate to “General” or “203 Homestead”  as described below.  For questions, email suzanneochse@aol.com
1. SWAT General -- this fund covers general expenses for SWAT such as signs, publicity, website, etc., and any other expenses that benefit the general cause against all warehouses in Hillsborough. 
2. SWAT 203 Homestead -- this fund covers expenses to specifically oppose the Homestead LLC application for the largest proposed warehouses at 189/203 Homestead Road. This fund covers expenses for experts. 
Mail your check to the SWAT Treasurer:
Suzanne Ochse
425 Willow Road
Hillsborough, NJ 08844

Rally Your Neighborhood and Ask Questions at Meetings 
Encourage neighbors and friends to attend Planning Board meetings to question the reports on traffic safety, traffic volume, cost of road maintenance, and environmental impacts such as flooding, light and noise pollution, air quality, and quality of life. For example, ask the experts who will pay for wear and tear on local roads?  What is the impact on town center traffic when trucks use it to get to 287 North? What happens to the goal of slower pedestrian-friendly town center traffic when trucks have to meet timelines? To get to 287 South, trucks will need to drive on Willow Road and  Amwell Road. 
Request that the zoning ordinances be changed to prevent more warehouses! Franklin Township, Branchburg, and others have tightened their ordinances. The master plan also needs to be updated to protect our town from being overrun by warehouses.  When the master plan isn’t clear about intended land use, the impact on residents can be disastrous. Residents can also encourage the Planning Board to follow the recommendations of the Inland Flood Protection Act which provides guidance on resilient and sustainable development! 
Your presence at these meetings is important and will show your objection to the SEVEN proposed warehouses. Public opinion counts! It is important for residents and township representatives to ask for clarification and ask their experts' questions. Please ask your neighbors, family, and friends to attend these meetings. There is strength in numbers. This is YOUR town, home, and neighborhood.
Put up a Lawn Sign
For lawn signs, contact Bob Harris at rlharris123@comcast.net $10 for lawn signs and $40 for large signs to cover printing costs.
Warehouse Information & Planning Board Dates
 
Read more on the SWAT website https://www.swat-hb.org/
Ask your neighbors and friends to oppose the warehouses and email stophomesteadwarehouses@gmail.com to find out how they can help.