During Hurricane Floyd last September, Nick Joanow looked out
from his Lakewood Drive home in Bloomfield and saw chest-deep water creeping
up the street.
Residents on the block, which is not far from the Third River, say there's
flooding anytime there's a significant amount of rainfall. The area has been
designated a flood zone.
So when neighborhood residents heard about a new 150-unit townhouse
development being planned on a nearby tract, they worried that the new
construction would add to their flooding woes.
"The runoff water from that development is going to have to go
somewhere," Joanow said. "I think it's coming right into me and my
neighbors' yard."
In an effort to halt construction near the river, Joanow and several
others formed the Third Riverbank Association.
The group is calling for a moratorium on construction in flood zones in
town and along the Third River.
"We would like to leave some open space in this town," said Lois
Ross, a member of the group. "Between flooding and congestion, people
are fed up with all this construction.
The group has gathered over 200 petitions in support of their fight and
brought it before the town council, which has plans to discuss the issue
further.
Councilman-at-large Vince Esposito said he understands resident concerns
about flooding but that the issue would have to be studied further by the
town engineer and outside professionals before any action is taken.
"Everyone wants construction in their neighborhood to stop, but you
just can't do it because it's illegal," Esposito said. "But I would
like to hear from professionals on the issue."
The site of the planned development is the old Scientific Glass factory at
8 Lion Gate Drive, not far from Broad Street. Leo Realty, a township
developer, is proposing the project.
The area is undergoing environmental remediation, another issue that has
concerned nearby residents who question whether the land is fit to occupy.
The area is zoned for townhouse or condominium development, but an empty
piece of land is not a reason to build, members of the Third Riverbank
Association say.
In addition to the Lakewood Drive area, residents are also targeting the
Hearthstone Road and Merkle Drive areas, which have homes whose back yards
are only feet away from the Third River.
"Someone has to be accountable for exacerbating an already bad
situation," Joanow said. "You don't expect to build in a flood
plain and not have any repercussion."
Joanow said the group is also trying to secure state and federal grants
that would allow them to purchase an approximately 5 acre parcel across from
the site of the proposed development.
The area is up for sale, and residents say they'd like to see it remain a
green space.
The area would be used to promote a greenway along with nearby Clark's
Pond, which is on its way to becoming a nature preserve in cooperation with a
grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Lois said additional concerns include the added traffic and stress on the
school system, something Esposito said might offset any tax benefit.
Broad and Bay streets, already crowded thoroughfares, could get more
congested and push the traffic problem back into Glen Ridge, residents say.
But Gregory Leo of Leo Realty, the project's developer, said residents
should not be concerned because any project that's approved will have to meet
strict engineering and environmental standards.
"The property is in a flood zone, but any development we do has to
meet strict municipal and state environmental guidelines," Leo said.
"I think the residents' fears are unfounded because we will not be
allowed to do anything that would hurt them."
Leo Realty, located on Broad Street in Bloomfield, has developed numerous
properties in town, including Francesca Commons and the Leo Building on Broad
Street.
The company is also the former owner of the Frank M. Leo Building at 2
Broad St., which has been targeted as a key to downtown redevelopment.
Leo Realty brought the property 13 years ago and has been in a legal
battle with the site's former owners to have it environmentally remediated.
A development plan has not been submitted, but Leo said he'd be glad to
address residents' concerns when the project goes before the planning board.
"These are legitimate concerns, but we have quite a vested interest
in town so we are not looking to flood anyone out of their home because we
have to do our next project," Leo said.
"The site is zoned a certain way so the town long ago took into
account density and other environmental factors."
In addition, knowing that the site is being brought up to local and state
environmental standards should be something residents are happy about, Leo
said.
"This is the type of site Gov. Whitman wants developed: A suburban
area with existing sewer lines," Leo said. "This was a nasty
industrial site in the middle of a nice neighborhood. This is a step
up."
But Karl Anderson, a Lakewood Terrace resident who saw Hurricane Floyd
deliver 44 inches of water into his finished basement, is not convinced.
"I think this development could make what happened to me a much more
common thing," Anderson said. "It may not take a Hurricane Floyd
the next time."
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