Neighbors Urge Maintenance, Oppose Redevelopment Of Lord Stirling Property

BASKING RIDGE, NJ — Bernards Township residents urged officials to reject a redevelopment designation for the former Lord Stirling School property, pointing to poor upkeep by the owner.

At the July 28 Township Committee meeting, several neighbors spoke against classifying 99 Lord Stirling Road as an area in need of redevelopment.

Bernards Township resident Jon Rocker is trying to improve a long-abandoned, vacant, and vandalized Lord Stirling School property.

His plan includes building 10 units of age-restricted housing and housing for those with special needs, which would equate to 20 credits in the Township's affordable housing obligation.

However, the plan needs Planning Board approval since the use is not approved for the property.

Current zoning on the property at 99 Lord Stirling Road only allows for four to five residential homes to be built on the property.

Anna Ford, who said she has lived on Riverside Drive in Basking Ridge for 17 years and worked part-time at Crane Farms for six years, said she supports neighbors who oppose "the construction of any apartments, condos, or units on the Lord Stirling property."

She said the site had not been maintained and argued the building had been left unsecured.

"Just walking by the property, you can see there is no maintenance of the lawns, trees, bushes, building, and driveway. This was not the case when it was a school," said Ford.

She added that when the building was a school, it was not vandalized.

"The difference now is that the developer has left the property unsecured. Not one building or house has been vandalized on our block, or around the Stirling property. If the building was maintained with minimal cleaning and monitoring cameras, no one would have touched that building," said Ford.

A resident who lives at the corner of Lord Stirling Road and Riverside Drive told the committee, "In my opinion, the property itself is not a public nuisance or a need of redevelopment."

She said, "The problem is not the property, but the lack of maintenance by the current owner."

The neighbor said the owner bought the property about two years ago and has not kept up with mowing, trash removal, window closures, driveway care or other routine upkeep.

Another resident on Riverside Drive said she opposes the proposed redevelopment designation and addressed discussion about housing for learning disabled adults.

She said support services are important and said she hopes any help offered to disabled adults is provided regardless of whether condos are approved.

Another resident urged the township to enforce property maintenance rules, citing standing water, overgrown vines and poison ivy as concerns. That speaker said the property could remain a good neighbor if it were properly maintained.

Following public comment, Mayor Ana Duarte McCarthy said a resolution approved in late November moved the property to the Planning Board for consideration of whether it is an area in need of redevelopment, with that review expected sometime in the fall.

"What that will determine is whether or not it is an area in need of redevelopment. It doesn't determine that it would be condos. That decision comes back to the township committee, which then determines what that might be, and that's the procedure around that," said McCarthy.

She added that the township's fourth-round affordable housing obligation has been completed through a consent order and said the property would not be reopened for that purpose.

McCarthy also addressed the maintenance issues at the property, saying that "the township continually does review the property" and appreciated residents' comments.

She noted that residents can also speak during public comment when the matter is heard before the Planning Board as well.

Previous Reporting:

• Neighbors Oppose Plan For Former Lord Stirling School In Basking Ridge

• NJ Man's Vision For Special Needs Housing At A Stand Still In Basking Ridge

• Abandoned, Vacant 'Eye Sore' Lord Stirling Property Seeks Bernards Township Help
• Investigation Of Vacant Lord Stirling Property Moves Forward In Bernards Township

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