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East Brunswick puts off vote on water tower

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By MICHAEL NUNES
Staff Writer

EAST BRUNSWICK — Residents spoke out against an ordinance for a proposed water tower on the west side of town near Henry Street.

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The ordinance on first reading, which allotted $3.3 million for the construction of a million-gallon elevated water tower off Henry Street, was criticized by residents who feared it would reduce their property value and harm the surrounding environment.

“We think that the economic and potential environment impact of trying to put such a thing [off Henry Street], which is possibly not even needed anyway, is enormous,” said Carrol Kemper, a Henry Street resident who cited a 2005 feasibility study conducted by the township which she says shows that a million-gallon water elevated tower on the west side of town is unnecessary.

According to Township Council President Michael Hughes, the council was not using the feasibility study that the residents were referencing, but a new one.

“We have a brand new study that was done in the last two months, which we are sending [the residents] a copy of and then they have a month to get their questions to us,” Hughes said.

Some residents worried what the construction would mean for the surrounding environment.

“When I purchased my property in 1984, we were told that we were not allowed to do anything to restrict or obstruct the flow of that underground water, that it has to be free to run out to the lake,” Olga Vaganey said, worrying that construction of the proposed water tower would contaminate water flow to Farrington Lake.

“[Also] my house runs on well water. Is it going to contaminate my well and leave my water impossible for us to drink? I just would really love for someone to do these environmental studies before they take on this job,” Vaganey continued.

For Nona Henderson, who is a trustee at the Lawrence Brook Watershed Partnership, cutting down trees to construct the water tower could have long-lasting effects on the local ecology.

“When they cut the trees at the top of the hill to put in the water tower and to put in the access road, what you have is sediment and erosion going down the side of the hill and into the lake,” Henderson said. She continued that removing the trees would also take away cover for deer and birds and other animals in the area, pushing them into other people’s back yards.

She also questioned — with the water tower planned to be built in an area adjacent to 75 acres of undeveloped township-owned property — the future of that area.

“What does the township plan to do? Are they going to develop it? Are they going to build more houses there? Is that why we need a new water tower?” Henderson asked.

According to Financial Director Lou Neely, who addressed council last year on the need for an elevated water tower, if water lines under the New Jersey Turnpike broke, parts of the town west of the turnpike would be without adequate water flow.

“We feed that section of the community with [water] lines that go under the turnpike. If and when one of those lines break, there will not be adequate water flow in that section of the community to fight fires or give protection while the repairs are being made,” Neely said during the Oct. 12 council meeting. “Fortunately, we haven’t had that. How long do we want to try to extend our good luck?”

According to Neely, those lines that run under the turnpike are approaching 50 years of age.

Last November the council reviewed a $6.1 million ordinance which included funding for the water storage unit. The council voted to table the funding from the ordinance after residents of Henry Street voiced their opposition to the plans.

The council vote to table the ordinance was unanimous, with the absence of Councilwoman Camille Clark, but it is expected to come up again as a discussion item at the Feb 22 council meeting.

“We owe it to ourselves, the residents of Henry Street, the taxpayers who paid for the study and the taxpayers who are interested in fire protection for their homes to take an up-or-down vote,” Hughes said.

“That is what we’re elected to do, and for too long politicians in this town have chosen to do nothing and pander to the lowest common denominator and not tick any side off by not making a decision. I am not letting that happen any more, we are going to take a vote.”

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