Heritage Minerals Site Proposal Before Manchester Planners Monday

MANCHESTER, NJ -- Two weeks ago, residents packed the municipal courtroom to make their opposition to a redevelopment proposal for the Heritage Minerals site known to the Township Council.

While not every seat was filled, it was an at-times raucous affair, with audience members grumbling and at times loudly objecting to what was being said by the council or by those speaking at the microphone.

When the Manchester Township Planning Board meets Monday night at 7 p.m., it's likely anyone attending should expect more of the same, as the Planning Board is scheduled to hold an administrative session to review and comment on the township's proposed ordinance to adopt the Manchester Heritage Town Center Redevelopment Plan. 

The plan has many residents and environmental groups up at arms, both over the proposed size of the project and what they say is a rush to get the proposal approved. 

An advertisement in The Manchester Times by the Pinelands Preservation Alliance accused Mayor Kenneth Palmer and township officials of meeting with Hovsons, the developer, and excluding the public from the process.

At the Township Council meeting, Palmer said the discussions were held with a working group that included residents, school administrators and others as well as township officials. 

He also said minutes of the meetings were released when the township received an OPRA request despite the fact they could have been construed as contract negotiations.

Palmer said the approval of the initial proposal is necessary so Hovson's can go to the state Department of Environmental Protection to see what, if anything the state will approve. 

Opponents object based on the size of the project, saying 6,500 homes will overburden the town and cause taxes to rise significantly, as well as increasing traffic and pollution, negatively impacting Barnegat Bay.

Palmer insisted during the meeting and in a follow-up letter that neither he nor the Township Council would agree to the full 6,500-unit proposal, but that he believes allowing Hovsons to make the request will mean the developer gives up the right to build 2,540 age-restricted homes -- a project that has been on hold for nearly a decade after an agreement was reached between Hovsons, the township and the state.

The new proposal will have to go through an entire approval process, Palmer said, and he expects the 6,543 number would be reduced by the time the process is complete. 

"They can put a shovel in the ground tomorrow for 2,400," Palmer said. "They can't do that with the 6,543."

"I'm not saying it (the project) has to be 6,543" when it's built, he said, "because I don't think that's a good number at all."

"The last thing I want to do is hurt the town," he said. 

The meeting begins at 7 p.m. and includes an applications for two minor site plan approvals.