Hillsborough Township Committee Election 2024: James Vander Vliet

HILLSBOROUGH, NJ — Hillsborough Township's general election on Nov. 5 has four candidates running for two open seats for the Township Committee.

Democrat James Vander Vliet is running along with Hermes Vallejo against incumbents Robert Britting and Shawn Lipani.

Are you running for office in Hillsborough? Contact Alexis Tarrazi at alexis.tarrazi@patch.com for information on being featured in a candidate's profile and submitting campaign announcements to Hillsborough Patch.

James Vander Vliet

• Age: 54
• Town of residence: Hillsborough
• Position sought: Township Committee
• Party Affiliation: Democrat
• Family: Married, three boys
• Education: BS – Drexel, MS – MIT
• Occupation: Environmental Consultant/Engineer
• Previous elected/appointed office: N/A
• Campaign website: N/A

Why are you seeking election for Township Committee?

I have lived in Hillsborough for over 20 years and have seen a lot of changes. Most of it good, and some of it maybe not so good. Hillsborough is a large and thriving town that offers a great place for a new family, but as taxes increase, construction takes place all over town and development pushes forward while storefronts sit vacant, it loses a bit of its luster. I just would like an opportunity to get into the details and see what we could be doing better with planning and marketing our town to small businesses.

The state's Route 206 project has caused issues and delays throughout town. How do you propose addressing this issue?

Given the fact that this is primarily a state-funded and state-run project, I think the best that can be done is to understand the challenges and have a seat at the table to communicate Hillsborough’s requests and do the best we can to collaborate with the state DOT to bring this project to a close as soon as we can.

Warehouse applications are still a concern for residents. How do you plan to address
this?

I have only been sitting on the Planning Board for a short amount of time, but I understand the challenges faced by the board when reviewing applications. If the use is permitted and there are no violations of any codes or building requirements associated with the developer’s plan, it is difficult to reject the application; "I don’t like it" isn’t good enough. I think the best way to address this is to revisit the Town’s Master Plan and ensure that warehouses are not permitted uses in inappropriate areas. The challenge comes when you are dealing with private property and dictating future uses, but I believe the Board and the Township Committee should be doing what it can to make sure the zones and use designations fit with the vision for the Town.

Affordable housing. How do you feel about this state mandate and its impact on Hillsborough?

I think it is important to provide affordable living for people and I appreciate there is little that towns can do once the mandate from the State has been handed down. However, this needs to be within reason, and if developers are not willing to build these places due to the lack of profitability, the solution of striking a deal with developers to build, while getting to do what they want in other areas, needs to be watched closely. While this is something that needs to be addressed as part of the Master Plan, I will also be paying very close attention to the municipalities that have sued the state over such mandates.

As work on the Master Plan gets underway, is there anything you feel the town should
focus on?

I think the town needs to focus on a vision and an identify for Hillsborough. I know that may sound easier said than done, but it has to happen, it has to start somewhere. Hillsborough is a desirable town; however, we need to be cognizant of the development and impacts created by over development. And I think the Master Plan needs to reflect that.

What sets you apart from the challenging candidates?

With an engineering background and working as a consultant and engineering project manager, I am confident I have the basic tools to be successful. That said, I have never been involved with politics before, so I think I offer a new perspective and a fresh set of eyes. I am sure this is a cliché answer, and I myself have viewed this as a very cliché answer when I have heard it from others in the past, however, now that I am in this position, I think it is valid. We see it in our professional lives and in our personal lives; sometimes you just need to look at things from a different angle and bring fresh ideas.

Is there anything else you would like to share about yourself or your campaign?

Not much really. I just really look forward to the opportunity to lend my skills to this role. No criticism to those that have been filling this role over the past 15-20 years, but I do believe things could be better, and I think I can play a role in that.