Proposed Berkeley Housing Development Sparks Outrage From Locals

BERKELEY, NJ — It all started with a letter. Residents who live within 200 feet of the WOBM pit were informed last month of a proposal to turn the site into a housing development called the Berkeley Nine Estates.

The attorney for the builder's applicant sent the letter to all nearby residents, as law requires. But many Berkeley residents worry about how housing could effect not only what's near the current pit — just off Route 9 — but the entire town.

Concerns from residents include impact on traffic, how the population influx would affect schools, the water supply and the environment. A petition called "Say NO to Berkeley Nine Estates!" has nearly 600 signatures as of Friday morning.

The Berkeley Nine Estates applicant needs the Berkeley Planning Board's approval. Residents can attend the hearing at a planning board meeting and present their opinions. The hearing was originally set to take place Oct. 3. Then it was pushed to Nov. 7, and now it will take place at 6 p.m. Dec. 5.

The Proposal

Radio station 92.7 WOBM moved its headquarters from Berkeley to Toms River several years ago, leaving its former site vacant.

Berkeley Mayor Carmen F. Amato and Township Council saw potential for the land to become open space. Officials passed an ordinance July 23, 2018 for Berkeley Township to request that the Ocean County Natural Lands Trust acquire the space.

"This property fronts Route 9 and is located in a congested area, and an open space tract therein will benefit the community and County," the ordinance says.

However, now Berkeley Nine Estates, LLC hopes to acquire the 33.5-acre vacant site. The company proposed to create 60 single-family homes and a mixed-use development with four to six commercial units.

Development would also include the creation of four new internal roads, improvement to part of Wheaton Avenue and connection to Berkeley Terrace Boulevard.

The proposal, which includes variances such as reducing required lot frontage, has left some residents fearing the potential to develop more housing than what's proposed.

"It opens up a floodgate of future development without them having to go back to the planning board, which is what my major concern is," said resident Kat Von Gee.

The variances could leave several areas on the top-center on the right of the above map for future housing development.

Planning board members have little liberty to speak on applications before their hearings. But Patch reached out to Planning Board Attorney Gregory P. McGuckin for comment on this article, which was not returned.

Amato, a member of the planning board, said he can't publicly comment on pending applications before their hearing.

"I will attend the hearing on December 5th, and have many questions that need to be answered on the potential impact to our community," Amato wrote Oct. 16 on his Facebook page. "Being a resident of Bayville for nearly 50 years, I have the same concerns as you."

Criticism

Congestion issues have been a top concern with the proposed development. Residents opposed to the plan have not only worried about the added traffic on Route 9 but how it would affect local schools, such as nearby Clara B. Worth Elementary School.

"Our town is over crowded already," one person wrote on the petition. "We had to build an extra school to accommodate all the new children that moved into the area. There is so much traffic compared to what it was when I moved here in 1990."

"Our schools and streets are already overcrowded," another person said.

Laura Shaw, a candidate for Berkeley mayor, said residents have told her they want to see a focus on the empty houses and vacant business properties the township already has.

"That area was never intended to be a housing development," Shaw said. "There are hundreds of houses for sale in Berkeley Township. We don’t need to build another housing development."

Environmental concerns include questions about the soil on the land, drainage and toxic runoff to watersheds.

With the pit near a water tower, another concern has been how the new development would impact the quantity and quality of running water. The petition states that developing more impervious surface would hinder the aquifer from obtaining water, while also increasing the demand for water.

"It seems grossly unnecessary, and it seems like a push for greed," Von Gee said. "And at what cost: the children, their education, our environment, the citizens? It’s opening the door for something truly ugly to happen here."

What's Next

Residents can voice their opinions at that planning board meeting, which takes place at 6 p.m. Dec. 5 in the Municipal Building (627 Pinewalk-Keswick Rd.).

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