Save Rural Andover Borough - Housing project threatens water

Housing project threatens water
Letter to the editor by Scott Olson
New Jersey Herald - July 31, 2005

To the editor:

Regarding Sunday's article on the Beazer Homes proposal for Andover Borough, I believe your reporter missed some very important facts.

This project destroys open greenfields and farmland within a questionably designated "Town Center," which currently includes an area of brownfields and a business district that is desperately in need of redevelopment. Yet the developer ignores this in favor of easier and more profitable plans. A simple case of "take the money and run" for Beazer Homes?

This development has potential for a huge impact on all adjoining municipalities. For Byram, it would be a major increase in traffic on Route 206, and a serious threat to the drinking water supply of our residents in Forest Lakes, who draw their water from wells in the same aquifer that this completely "new town" will sit directly over. The project straddles the best groundwater recharge area for this aquifer, due to the very porous nature of the limestone formations below the surface there. To negatively impact it with inappropriate development would be tragic for the thousands of residents of Andover Borough, Andover Township and Byram who rely upon it for their source of drinking water.

Byram residents need to be ever vigilant of impending threats adjacent to our town's Highlands Preservation Area. This project, and Andover Township's proposed "Transit Village" are examples - both developments do in fact lie within the geographic definition of the Highlands, but were removed from protection by partisan political dealings of local and county officials.

Fortunately, Byram Township's elected officials have been regional leaders at protecting the natural resources that border our community - their opposition to the huge D.R. Horton development in Hopatcong is proof of that. It is my hope that our Township will have the opportunity to review the plans and the impact to the region, and take a position of opposition to this development if it is deemed inappropriate. I urge all residents of nearby municipalities to call or write your elected officials and ask them to do the same.

Scott Olson
Byram Township