Quarry Opponents Call On Township To Gain Trust Back

BASKING RIDGE, NJ — Friends of Stop the Quarry Plan (Friends of STQP) are asking Bernards Township Committee Members to do two things at the upcoming Jan. 24 meeting in order to regain their trust.

“We want to ensure that Basking Ridge does not become entangled in a divisive mess like this again," a spokesperson for Friends of STQP says.

The two things are as follows:

1. Proposed Ordinance #2374 must not be reintroduced and must be dismissed. It does not preserve the small-town quality of life indicative of our town and development should not be discussed until rehabilitation and environmental remediation of the property is complete.
2. The Township Committee has declared the Millington Quarry blighted and in need ofredevelopment and therefore can bypass review by the Planning Board, expert testimony and rebuttal. The Township Committee must rescind resolution #2017-0156 declaring the Millington Quarry Inc. Property a Non-Condemnation Redevelopment Area and ensure that once the remediation and rehabilitation of the site is complete and it is developable, the zoning designation will become the 2-acre single dwelling zoning specified in the Bernards Township Master Plan.

The fate of the Quarry Redevelopment project for the Millington Quarry property off Stone House Road will be decided at a committee meeting on Jan. 24 at 7 p.m. at Ridge PAC.

Bernards Township Mayor John Carpenter said there will be a discussion to terminate the Quarry Redevelopment Concept Plan draft during the upcoming meeting.

This came out in light of strong opposition from the community including the group "Stop The Quarry" or STQP formed by local residents.

The proposed plan for the Millington Quarry property called for the area to be divided into four districts — Agritourism and Recreation District, Cottage Residential District, Mixed Residential District and Mixed Use District. It included the construction of a townhouses, single family homes, an amphitheater, restaurant, hotel and more.

However, residents against the plan questioned the amount of development and the contamination at the property.

• See Related: Fate Of Quarry Redevelopment Plan To Be Decided Jan. 24
• See Related: Residents Not Happy With Proposed Quarry Plan In Basking Ridge
• See Related: Hundreds Fill Ridge PAC To Discuss Quarry Plans

(Image via rendering of proposed Millington Quarry Redevelopment Plan)

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