CranburyWatch
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CranburyWatch Mission
- to advocate for regional land use policies that protect the social, economic, environmental, and aesthetic interests of the community
- to disseminate to the public information, analyses, and data concerning land use law, regulations, programs, issues, and policies
- to provide a forum for discussion of land use policies and alternatives
What You Can Do
- Get involved in the Cranbury Brick Yard LLC project.
- Make your voice count.
- Learn the Facts
- 400 acres, and possibly most important remaining undeveloped site in Cranbury.
- 200 acres of valuable wetlands and stream corridors, which feed the Millstone River and provide critical wildlife habitats.
- 2.8 million sq ft of potential warehousing
- The Cranbury Open Space Plan identified this site for conservation, not warehousing.
- Be alerted to upcoming meetings, obtain summaries, news articles, and informed opinions
The Watershed Association is engaged – not opposed. But the mandated site cleanup of 50-year-old hazardous waste should not be a green light for development.
CranburyWatch Goals
- Improve public participation in land use issues, improve the decision-making processes, and act to protect natural and cultural resources
- Engage a wide audience to join the effort, forming the core of a larger support base in these discussions and decisions.
- Professionally research various aspects of land use policies including: regulatory, legal, environmental, engineering, planning, cultural, and historical. Demonstrate credibility on a vast array of potential issues to add to the discussions.
To receive additional information, please e-mail CranburyWatch@thewatershed.org
Cranbury Brick Yard LLC Project
A 395-acre forested wetland north of Brickyard Road in Cranbury currently under ownership by Viridian Partners, who have plans to develop as a warehouse facility.
On September 11th the Cranbury Township Committee Met
Cranbury Brick Yard LLC is currently zoned light industrial.
The Township and County officials have designated the property as a Rural Planning Area (PA4) on the NJ State Plan because of its wetlands, forests and wildlife habitiats. This designation should precludes sewer service to the area.
Viridian Partners, the current owners, sought to open dialog about extending sewers to the site. However, the necessary evaluations of wetlands and habitats at the site and the extent of the contamination and cleanup have not been completed.
Sign the petition to support the completion of these studies before site development is discussed.
Be informed
Stream Corridor Law Has Merit - Cranbury Press Editorial (09/01/2006)- New Rules Eyed for Waterways - Cranbury Press (08/25/2006)
- Industrial Land in Cranbury, New Jersey - Viridian Partners, LLC webpage
- What Would You Choose for Cranbury? - Cranbury Press Ad (06/12/2006)
- SBMWA Executive Director Jim Waltman’s Editorial - The Wellspring (Vol. 53, No.1)
- Letter to NJDEP Commissioner - SBMWA (02/28/2006)
Natural Features
- The site includes 395 acres of forest, and the Cranbury Environmental Resource Inventory identified this site as the largest and most important open space parcel in the Cranbury.
- Over 200 acres include forested wetlands, which provide critical wildlife habitats and are designated as “exceptional resource value” by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), and two streams cross the property which are tributaries to the Millstone River.
- Several wetland vernal pools are present at the site, which are used by frogs and salamanders to lay their eggs each spring.
- The Cranbury Open Space Plan identified this site for conservation.
- Middlesex County considered purchasing the land for open space, but contamination was discovered in 2001 and the NJDEP ordered a cleanup in January 2005.
Contamination
- The land has been vacant and contaminated since 1954, when the munitions operations of the Unexcelled Chemical Corporation exploded.
- 85 acres on the east side of the property is contaminated with munitions and explosive compounds (MEC) and fuel used to make napalm bombs and hand grenades, heavy metals and pesticides are also present.
- Flare tips, 20-mm shells, and fuses for napalm bombs have been found, and some are still explosive and hazardous if handled improperly.
- Viridian Partners purchased the property in January 2006 for $6 million from Crédit Agricole, a bank in Paris, and agreed to investigate and cleanup the contamination on the property.
- Viridian Partners signed an agreement with NJDEP to cleanup the site, possibly by mid-2007 at a cost of $10 million.
Development Plans
- Viridian Partners has proposed to cover the site with 2.8 million square feet of warehouses (nine buildings), and the land is zoned for light impact industrial facilities.
- Warehousing would clear the forest, impact the streams and wildlife habitats, increase traffic, increase costs to expand the sewer system, and obligate the town to build 22 affordable housing units.
- The warehouses could be connected through the site to Liberty Way to divert the traffic onto the N.J. Turnpike via Exit 8A.
- Viridian Partners is also seeking approval to extend sewer lines to the site.
- The site purchase, cleanup, and re-development is expected to cost $30 million, but the assessed value of the warehouse complex could be $82 million.
Continue to be involved in setting the course for Cranbury’s future
Stay informed about the Cranbury Brick Yard LLC project by e-mailing: CranburyWatch@thewatershed.org
