Deny Solar Plan or Put Bedminster Up for Sale, Ex-Mayor Says

To The Editor:

 I understand our most recent ex-Mayor’s admonition that the Bedminster governing officials should refrain from publicly commenting about an application before the Land Use Board (LUB).  However, in his recent letter, he ignores my point about the public’s right to hear from their elected Republican/Democrat municipal county committee representatives; in particular the District 2 representatives in whose district the proposed monstrosity industrial scale solar power plant is proposed.

 Holtaway’s glowing community service resume includes dissolving the Board of Adjustment—the most important Board to concentrate on defending Bedminster’s zoning.  Part of his argument was that there were not enough applications to keep both the Board of Adjustment and the Planning Board busy, so he pushed through a LUB ordinance.

 Then the LUB became so busy that they ignored developing an ordinance to address alternative energy sources, including wind and solar, even after former Mayor Metelski corresponded with the Board and Committee leaders in April 2012 urging them to be proactive and develop a solar ordinance.  It took the Township 18 months to adopt such an ordinance.  While they were busy with other business, KDC Solar filed an application in December 2012, to develop an industrial scale solar power plant on Kirby Farm West in our Township’s hard earned R10 rural residential district.

 Maybe former Mayor Holtaway was too busy providing Sanofi with electrical engineering services to attend to the adoption of a solar ordinance before KDC Solar filed to serve solar power to Sanofi.  I became aware, for the first time, after noting in the LUB’s November 8, 2012 that a draft ordinance was to be available on November 9, 2012 and was quietly circulating away from the eyes of the public.  I requested a copy on last year’s Thanksgiving eve day and was told by the Township Administrator that “There wasn’t any draft ordinance”, contrary to the November 8, 2012 minutes.

 I then requested an Open Public Records Act form, completed it and dropped it in the Township’s lock box that weekend.  On Monday, mid-morning, the Township Administrator called and said I could pick up a copy of the draft ordinance; so much for our transparent government.  After 18 months the adopted solar ordinance will not have any effect on the KDC Solar application.  If this application is granted and upheld on appeal, the change of use from 10 acre rural residential to commercial/industrial will bust our zoning with long term detrimental impact on our community.  This kind of intrusion has a way of slowly creeping, once it is started.

 So much for Holtaway’s recommendation to “sit it out and be quiet.”  While he has “watched this process hundreds of times”, I was and have been busy doing something about them. There can be no compromise, no deal, no settlement—the Township must deny this application and strongly defend any appeals.  To do otherwise will only announce, Bedminster is for sale.

 The next Board meeting, hearing the KDC Solar application, is scheduled for November 14, 2013 at 7:00pm at the Bedminster Township School, 234 Somerville Road (Route 202).  Please attend; I hope to see you there.

 Sincerely,

Joe Cirona