Bucksnbows you will be interested in this

[CJ3a]

It appears the DEP is for sale again. The project was shut down and without notifing anyone they change there mine and gave the devoloper the green light. It appears that in 2014 its OK to pump the Ramapo river dry and dump the treated sewage in the passaic river. http://www.northjersey.com/news/long-stalled-oakland-housing-development-approved-after-settlement-with-regulators-1.1000388

[Bucksnbows]

Thanks, CJ3a.  I had seen that article just yesterday and passed it on to the folks I'm working with in Oakland to restore a 2 1/2 mile stretch of the Ramapo River flowing through that town.  I'm all for smart development, but this is not smart development.  I know that the DEP is taking the hit, but it looks more like the courts deserve a large part of the blame.  We are our own worst enemies when it comes to foolish development in NJ.   

[CJ3a]

The strange thing about this is the DEP closed the matter and did not tell anyone that it was reopened and changed until the residents recieved letters last week. The public comment period clock started last week on a decision made in january. The article is incorrect in stating about the earlier agreement which the DEP did know about but some how feels now over rides them now. Shady deals all around.

[Bucksnbows]

The strange thing about this is the DEP closed the matter and did not tell anyone that it was reopened and changed until the residents recieved letters last week. The public comment period clock started last week on a decision made in january. The article is incorrect in stating about the earlier agreement which the DEP did know about but some how feels now over rides them now. Shady deals all around.

 

Yup, someone knew someone important and that's how it's done here in NJ  

[Haskell_Hunter]

These developments get built because of a law that requires towns to have a certain percentage of affordable housing. In nearly every development effort in the highlands, developers sue towns and judges force the towns to allow construction to conform to this law. It's a developer-friendly law and is being used to destroy any of the remaining open lands.

[CJ3a]

The COAH requirement is how they worked the orginal approvals thru. Since the builder first lost to the DEP due to pumping from the Ramapo and discharging in the Passaic, Oakland changed its master plan to put affordable housing in another location and has purchase property to do this. The DEP has really blinded sided both Wayne and Oakland with its reversal of its first decision. No one from both towns were informed about the jan decision until last week. Slim shady at work here.

[Bucksnbows]

The COAH requirement is how they worked the orginal approvals thru. Since the builder first lost to the DEP due to pumping from the Ramapo and discharging in the Passaic, Oakland changed its master plan to put affordable housing in another location and has purchase property to do this. The DEP has really blinded sided both Wayne and Oakland with its reversal of its first decision. No one from both towns were informed about the jan decision until last week. Slim shady at work here.

 

Agreed!  We (Trout Unlimited) took some heat on another fishing forum for "not protecting the river", but until I read this same article, I had no clue.  We can't know every potential threat to well over 2,000 miles of wild trout waters in the state, but we try real hard to do so.  It's worse when back room deals are cut which is business as usual in the Garden State.  Ours is a volunteer based organization and I am the sole staffer in NJ and my focus is the Musconetcong watershed.  The Wayne Twp. mayor intervened today, and that is a good thing.  I have a mtg. with Oakland the week of May 12th and I'm sure this will come up.  

[CJ3a]

This is the article on Waynes issue with it.

http://www.northjersey.com/news/environment/council-opposes-oakland-project-1.1001648