Chamber News Feed: Somerset County, NJ: After a months long legal battle to stop the cutting, the trees are coming down to make way for a new athletic field for Bernards High School. The buzzing of chainsaws has begun, Jeanne DePodwin said in a statement Monday. The cutting of 250 trees at the (Bernards High School) lower field is taking place this week in the historic Olcott woods. In April 2013, DePodwin and the group Active Citizens for Responsible Sustainability, or ACRES, filed a civil action in state Superior Court against the against the Somerset Hills School District, Bernardsville Borough, Bernardsville Mayor Lee C. Honecker, and the borough council. The complaint said that the school district had planned to remove more than 200 mature trees on about two acres of protected wooded land to expand its lower athletic fields, and that such expansion would disturb freshwater wetlands and two streams, while causing erosion and drainage problems. The only aspect of the project that I can comment on at this point is that we have received all necessary approvals for the tree removals, Nancy Lee Hunter, school business administrator for the Somerset Hills School District said Monday. Tree removal has begun today and should take about five days to complete. While the tree cutting she tried to prevent is now underway, DePodwin said that the ACRES efforts did force the school board to comply with NJDEP rules requiring the preservation of a 50-foot buffer on each side of the two onsite streams. The board plans also now incorporate a significant storm water management facility, DePodwin said. But she said the board is taking a risk by clearing the trees now and leaving the adjacent and downstream properties vulnerable to flooding, erosion and drainage issues. Despite statements to the contrary, ACRES was never opposed to athletic fields, DePodwin said. The most tragic part is that there was another way. A (rotated field option) could have given our kids a field quickly, saved taxpayers $300,000 with significantly fewer environmental impacts. DePodwin said that legal fees were incurred by the board because of omissions and errors by board engineers, who had to revise plans to comply with local, county and state regulations. We entrust our elected officials to enforce our Boroughs Master Plan and municipal land use laws even handedly and with transparency, DePodwin said. When that does not occur, it is incumbent upon citizens to take action to ensure oversight and accountability. Due to the obvious impossibility of obtaining an impartial, objective hearing before the board of adjustment on a site plan, and, the likelihood of further protracted litigation, ACRES withdrew its complaint from Superior Court in Somerville, DePodwin said. DePodwin thanked supporters and stakeholders for their efforts, and acknowledged borough officials Mike Mondok, Frank Mottola, Anthony Soriano, Tina Markewiecz and Sandra Jones for conducting themselves in a professional, respectful manner. She also credited Bob Brightly, borough engineer, for overseeing the details of the changing site plans. DePodwin said she is pleased that ACRES efforts ensured the stream buffer and stormwater management system, but she asked what lesson have we taught our children in terms of balancing needs versus protecting our environment. It is a shame and egregious that our town and school officials would not allow further public scrutiny of the viable, alternative field plan, DePodwin said. They have had over a year to do so. Your Bernards Township Regional Chamber of Commerce Works for You!
Posted on: Thu, 13 Mar 2014 10:20:59 +0000