HOPEWELL TOWNSHIP: Scotch Road tracts should remain zoned for offices

Andrew Martins, Managing Editor
To the editor:
As a resident of Hopewell Township concerned with the impact of overdevelopment, I have attended a number of planning board meetings related to the Scotch Road tracts.
At the end of 2016, when discussions centered on meeting the township’s COAH obligations, it was explicitly stated that the west side of Scotch Road was off the table for residential and mixed occupancy. Fast forward to June and the planning board was asked by the governing body to determine whether the west side of Scotch Road met the state’s criteria for “areas in need of redevelopment.” That designation would be necessary to develop this land for residential or commercial use, since it is designated in the current master plan for use as office space. The owner of the land stands to make a great deal of money if it can develop the land immediately for apartments, houses, and stores. However, that would change the character of the area, it would change traffic patterns, it would require additional schools, and more residential services. Is this good for Hopewell Township?
A report was prepared by a private company hired by Hopewell Township which appears incredibly biased in favor of designating the area as in need of redevelopment. The report states that certain parcels of the land in question have declined in value over a short period of time. One parcel was reportedly assessed at $350,000 in 2007 and then reassessed in 2011 for $55,800. Why? If the assessed values reflect transaction price, what was the relationship, if any, between the buyer and the seller? A fair reading of this report, which is available online, gives the distinct impression that it was written to help the prospective developer achieve its objective – to make money quickly.
This large area in Hopewell Township was zoned the way it was to ensure maximum utilization while preserving the township’s rural character  with minimal impact on the surrounding community. The report lists the statutory criteria necessary to satisfy the definition of an “area in need of redevelopment” and none of those criteria apply. Additionally, the report cites an oversupply of class A office space in Mercer County that will last for years, but fails to note that the former Merrill Lynch complex on Scotch Road is fully occupied. Why is this not mentioned in the report? The report states that the land should be rezoned to allow building multifamily housing and starter homes, which they claim would be good for the township. However, wouldn’t this really be most beneficial for the developer?
It was quite clear that the planning board’s decision to approve this resolution was without regard to public opinion, as numerous residents offered their disapproval of the plan and not one stood in support. This lack of regard for public opinion appears to be the norm rather than the exception. The board’s decision to allow the financial objectives of a select few to be met, while disregarding the needs of the larger community, is the very reason for public distrust in politics on a micro and macro level.
The elected and appointed officials of Hopewell Township have an obligation to serve the entire community, and do what is best over the long term. This requires looking decades ahead, not making decisions that benefit a particular group and not taking actions with long term consequences for short term benefit. Are these officials doing the right thing for Hopewell Township? If they are not, then this should be remembered in the next election.
Michael Warren
Hopewell Township