Indiana Bats and Songbirds Temporarily Halt Land Destruction on Waterview. Morris County Indiana bat range.

Bats, Demonstrate Parsippany Officials Need Total Reform as Waterview Betrayal Winds Down. Indiana Bat Endangered Species not considered by Rogue Officials…

The disgraceful episode of the complete undermining of grassroots democracy in Parsippany Troy-Hills has one last episode. RD developer brought to town by Mayor Barberio and Town Attorney John Inglesino. Planning Board’s Ed Schneikus also supported the unneeded new shopping center against its possible acquisition into open space under the green acres land preservation; all of the above mentioned and several Councilman help promote the waterview marketplace alleging it would protect the immediate neighborhood and Parsippany in general from its use as a possible affordable housing site. Governor Christie’s administration had ignored the NJ Supreme Court Mandates and methods of meeting affordable housing needs. This resulted in municipalities’ possibilities to developers’ lawsuits, in a free for all in favor of builders and real estate developers.

In order for the unneeded waterview marketplace to get the green light the landscape was rezoned to accommodate the developer RD. RD sued Parsippany in several frivolous suits alleging they wished to construct housing, first up scale for classy divorcees’ and then 666 affordable units. This case all when the higher state courts were in the process of deciding the affordable issue. After the rezone of the land was allowed, the Fair Share Housing Center proceeded to sue Parsippany for deliberately using public housing as an instrument to promote the unneeded new land development for the waterview marketplace. The public does still not know how this deal was worked out. We have here a Rico type racket scheme for lawyers spending municipal funds in scams to help developers and developer’s lawyers also cleaning up with extra work. The towns goals and grass roots interest subdued with the tax payers own funds.

The fact being our tax dollars were spent in support of Inglesino, Webster, Wyciskala & Talor,LLC. In bed with RD LLC rather than in support of the mass grassroots movement, Parsippany’s own master plan, Troy Brook Watershed studies, an option of using Highlands Checklist for the landscape, and Mayor Barberio’s promise in front of hundreds of people to have the sensitive landscape preserved as open space. Many factors were ignored; the most obvious being the steep slope ordinance protected the land from being a possible site for a housing proposal, and its selection for Open Space rather than rezoning would also put it off limits. COAH environmental policies state the following:

. A municipality can reduce the number of acres available for development

by showing how much land it has in each of the following categories.

•Restrictive covenants that run with the land (such

as conservation easements);

•Steep slopes over 15 percent if regulated by a local

steep slope ordinance;

•Wetlands (as delineated by the State);

•Floodplains (as delineated by the State);

•Sites listed on the NJ Register of Historic Places,

plus a “reasonable” buffer area;

•Land that the town plans to purchase within one

year for active or passive recreational purposes.

Town’s wanting to keep unwanted builders’ remedy developments from those areas only by proactively finding and designating other appropriate areas for affordable housing.

Indiana Bats and Songbirds

Now we finally get to the Bats and the songbirds. In an attempt to finally fast track and streamline the construction of this unneeded shopping plaza. The developer applied and of course received his soil and tree removal permits; 100% approval by the planning board and Mayor including senior Councilman dePierro, another enemy of his own community favoring the “marketplace” as a tax ratable. Work was to begin on July 31 in deforesting the landscape after the July Council meeting approving the soil removal ordinance.

Obstacles to development fast-track deals; Bats Songbirds

Parsippany’s interest toward anything but corporate development, over not only their own community and immediate neighborhoods, but over the Laws of the land the NJDEP/US Fish & Wildlife. Endangered Species Act and best practices in land use principals.

It happens that waterview landscape is within the range habitat of the summer life cycle of the Indiana bat an endangered species. Considerate, caring or knowledgeable officials would not allow new land development, tree/soil removal on sensitive landscapes for consideration of songbirds alone; which habitat loss has significantly reduced populations.

NJDEP/USFGW State Endangered Species Act: Indiana Bats. Best Practices.

Within areas of potential summer habitat (within the geographic range but in areas not yet surveyed for the presence or absence of this species):

Within areas of known summer maternity habitat:

clearing trees over 5 inches dbh between April 1 and September 30

clearing greater than 0.5 acre of trees at any time of year

removal, modification or disturbance of known roost trees

new or increased discharges of pesticides or other environmental contaminants

construction of wind turbines

Within areas of potential summer habitat (within the geographic range but in areas not yet surveyed for the presence or absence of this species):

clearing trees over 5 inches dbh between April 1 and September 30

clearing greater than 1 acre of trees at any time of year

large-scale pesticide application that could depress insect populations

construction of wind turbines.

No one knew or No one cared? Other Landscapes Ignored!

Not one experienced Parsippany official or employee had any clue. How many new land developments have proceeded already with total disregard to the endangered species act concerning bats and songbirds; 700 Mountain Way; UPS Office Complex; or the Intervale Enterprises Water’s edge luxury apartments?

Oh but we have now, Tax Dollars for neutering cats.

Councilman’s dePierro next step scheme is neutering stray cats with public funds or will he simply use an upcoming PILOT deal (pay in lieu of taxes) windfall, as Mr. Inglesino calls these deals, for his private concerns about cats while other forms of life’s biodiversity have no rights here in Parsippany. So we may see that the word animal in Parsippany applies only to cats and dogs, plants or the term green, lawns and cash money. The green is not the common but the private space; or this case missed used term marketplace for waterview. A tree is a tree even when it comes down and never replaced or there is a nest of eggs in it.

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No regrets from the job creator and mayor

Mayor Barberio has no regrets as he stated after the waterview deal went down despite every opportunity to save the landscape. He chose a questionable and worthless tax ratable scam, and now pilot deals in the name of housing obligations that are being pulled out of thin air. In Parsippany no need exists for new land development for more shopping malls when others lie vacant. If all a nations economy can bring is private contract deals that devour our lands with no regard for land other than real estate deals to provide work by any means necessary at the expense of others, we are a people and a nation nowhere; of wasted places, uncaring for each other and the world that sustains us. Will any of these developer deals help the average Parsippany homeowner? No! If anything we are adding costs to the future generations who will pay more for a degraded life and environment. The recent retables and PILOT deals, tax abatement programs for corporate profits at public expense will not prove any tax benefit, but quick cash for non-transparent purposes of public officials.

It is strange how no local media source is interested in why the trees had not started coming down as planned and with joy on July 31. If and when they do we are sure to hear the news.

We are not in good hands. Time for a change Parsippany needs a complete purge of such careless callous people in charge of our lives here as other forms of life also depend on our good virtues, respect and recognition.

An old Cornish verse offering Bats bribes:

Airy mouse, airy mouse fly over my head, And you shall have a crust of bread; And when I brew and when I bake, You shall have a piece of my wedding cake.

This story did not need to end this way..