Dear CILU Members and Supporters:
Recently a town-wide flyer was mailed from a developer touting the potential benefits of having 80+ townhouses built on Crawford Hill. The property is largely open space and not zoned for residential development. The new owner is asking the township to change the zoning to permit tightly packed townhouses to be constructed across the top of the hill which is currently undeveloped and home to the Bell Labs horn antenna. CILU is opposed to rezoning the property to allow for residential development on the Crawford Hill property for economic, environmental, and quality of life reasons.
Economic:
Open space saves taxpayers' dollars. The cost to support infrastructure and provide public services exceeds tax revenue generated from development (The Cost of Community Services in Monmouth County, a study by American Farmland Trust). Conversely, open space results in an increase in surrounding property values.
Environmental:
Crawford Hill is in NJ State Planning Area 5, a zone containing sensitive environmental conditions and irreplaceable natural resources. Crawford Hill serves as part of the headwaters of the Swimming River Watershed. Increased impermeability, runoff, and pollution in this area will affect stormwater recharge and impact the drinking water of over 300,000 Monmouth County residents. The property contains steep slopes protected from erosion and runoff by mature deciduous forest and undergrowth. As the highest point in Monmouth County, the site provides scenic views of NYC, the Raritan Bay and beyond. When landscape easements and steep slopes are taken into consideration, the developable area is much less than 43 acres. According to the proposed concept plans, the houses would be in condensed rows of 3 to 6 residences per structure, arranged in a highly dense configuration.
Quality of life
The impact on traffic and pollution from the estimated 100-150 additional cars would be significant. The development proposes a single outlet to Holmdel Road, resulting in dangerous conditions as people try to turn onto the already busy and winding road.
The addition of 80+ townhomes will negatively affect the area’s bucolic nature, rendering it closer to high density residential areas reserved for the corridor along Route 35 and lowering property values on nearby streets.
CILU advocates that the entire site be preserved as a public park with access for all. The discoveries made using the Bell Labs horn antenna are of such worldwide significance that it needs an appropriate setting to memorialize Holmdel’s role in man’s understanding of our origins and should not be moved and hidden behind high density development that will have adverse effects on our economy, environment, and quality of life.
Sincerely,
THE CILU BOARD
