HOLMDEL-More than 40 residents gathered to voice their opposition to a plan by New Jersey Natural Gas (NJNG) to build a regulator within the township.
The hearing was designed for residents to air their concerns over New Jersey Natural Gas Company’s appeal of a Holmdel Zoning Board decision to deny the plan for a regulator.
“The New Jersey Natural Gas is administratively appealing/contesting a decision rendered by Holmdel Township regarding the placement and construction of a natural gas regulator station within the township,” said Patrick Mulligan, chief of administration for the Office of Administrative Law.
New Jersey Office of Administrative Law Judge Elia Pelios presided over the agency’s final public hearing on June 8 at the Holmdel Community Center located at 4 Crawfords Corner Road.
“NJNG is a regulated natural gas local distribution company that provides safe, reliable natural gas service to 528,000 customers. It is not a government agency,” said Michael Kinney, spokesman for New Jersey Natural Gas.
A natural gas regulator regulates the pressure on NJNG’s main. It will reduce pressure to a level that can be used by customers, according to Kinney.
NJNG believes the natural gas regulation station is necessary for current and future natural gas delivery needs of the area, according to Mulligan.
“Currently, NJNG has a temporary regulator in Holmdel. We are looking to build a permanent regulator station off Holmdel Road in front of the solar field. The regulator station is needed to ensure safe, reliable service to our customers in Holmdel and the surrounding communities. When there is a decrease in pressure there is a corresponding drop in temperature, which can cause freezing at the temporary regulator. The permanent regulator includes a heater to mitigate this issue and ensure safe, reliable service for our customers in Holmdel and the surrounding communities,” Kinney said.
The township was notified of NJNG’s intent to appeal on or around January 11, according to Mulligan.
“The Township Committee is against the New Jersey Natural Gas Regulator Station proposal. Therefore, the township formally intervened in the case, opposing the NJNG petition before the Board of Public Utilities. I am unable to comment further as this matter is the subject of ongoing litigation,” Township Attorney Michael Collins said.
Throughout the public hearing the most common concerns expressed by residents were disapproval toward the proposed regulator because of safety concerns, the size of the regulator, environmental concerns, the proximity of the regulator to Holmdel Road, health concerns, and decrease in property values.
Resident Scott Goldstein said that the public was not properly notified about the proposed regulator and the impact it could have on their community.
“The issue about inadequate notice is that when you go back to the original notice to the public the only word that gave us a clue what was there was the word, regulator. And up to this point [when I] saw the word regulator, I’m thinking of the thing on the side of my barbecue and said well ‘what’s the big deal.’ So here again they really haven’t been above board with us and been up front [and] explain to us the size of this, the magnitude of this, the risks involved, they don’t have adequate protection here in 2017…I really feel that they really need to significantly rethink what they are doing, how they’re doing it and write a new playbook here on how this gets done,” Goldstein said.
Before residents voiced their opinions and concerns toward the proposed regulator, Mayor Gregory Buontempo gave a brief statement to Pelios voicing his opposition on the proposed regulator.
“The Holmdel Zoning Board heard testimony from both New Jersey Natural Gas experts and concerned citizens and reached a conclusion that the detrimental effects out weigh the public benefits. This was not a quick decision this was a decision as you heard your honor that went on for I believe close to 10 months,” Buontempo said.
After citizens testified that the proposed regulator station is too close to Holmdel Road, Buontempo said that they are correct.
The heater is going to be about 67 feet from the road, the control box about 51 feet from the road, the regulator about 73 feet from the road, and a residential property that is about 180 feet from the road, according to Buontempo.
“Aesthetics, it’s difficult to fence in, obscure or hide 15 foot heater stacks that are only 70 feet from Holmdel Road. Safety is also a concern. Holmdel Road is a high speed traffic road and any accident can be catastrophic for the town,” Buontempo said. “Holmdel is a beautiful community in this part of town your honor. We have wildlife, nurseries, vineyards and athletic facilities where our children play on there [and] nearby to where this proposed regulator station is going.”
“Open space and continuing the natural beauty of this area is of the upmost importance to this township. We spent many years building a master plan to control how this town is built out and this is not what we ever envisioned for this type of facility to be built in this part of town,” according to Buontempo.
“I believe there are other areas of town that is more appropriate for this facility and probably require more work on their part, but I believe that they might have pursued this because they thought it was an easy location to put it in, but from the perspective of representing the township in reticence your honor this is not a location we want and we want this regulator process stopped in its tracks,” Buontempo said.
As of today there are no more public hearings scheduled and there are no Office of Administrative Law hearing days scheduled, according to Mulligan.
There is going to be a public evidentiary hearing held at 9:30 a.m., on July 13, at the Office of Administrative Law in Mercerville, according to Pelios.
For more information visit www.nj.gov/oal/ or call 609-689-4048.
For more information about Citizens for Informed Land Use visit www.holmdel-cilu.org/about.htm.
Contact Vashti Harris at vharris@newspapermediagroup.com.
