Several Manalapan Planning Board meetings regarding a proposed warehouse development site (87 acres) on Route 33 east (across from the Four Seasons adult community) have been held since last year. Now there is dialogue on defining “warehouse” vs. “distribution center.”
The bottom line is that taxpaying residents of southern Manalapan should be outraged our governing body elected officials enacted the initial ordinance to begin with, proceeding with such hideous overdevelopment.
Commercial warehouses or distribution centers (24/7) don’t belong in our town. Overdevelopment, devastation of land, continuous traffic congestion and noise from hideous truck traffic are not why people settled and purchased their homes here.
Putting the local citizens’ interests last over a profiteering “developer” is flat out wrong, discriminatory to classes of “individuals.”
The savings and equity value accrued to residents through their property and homes over the years should not be destroyed by profiteers, Planning Board members and municipal governing body officials, who vote “green” (yes) on every development proposal that comes forward.
Residents, make your voices heard. Countryside Developers, really “land destroyers,” should be sent a resounding opposition message along with our local elected officials.
In a short period of time, our town approved housing and commercial developments along Route 33 that devastate up to 200 acres or more of open space and farmland. What land use vision is this? It needs a complete reversal.
Let’s not set a precedent to any speculator/developer that it’s OK to build monstrous developments like the current scenario. The developer’s experts are paid to prepare studies and reports that promote the developer’s goals.
A “corporation” should not have more rights than the people who live and work in Manalapan. This proposed development creates profits to one entity and destroys the equity and savings of residents whose home values will be negatively impacted.
Truck traffic on bucolic roads, devastating a quiet community; noise pollution and the loss of open space to such an “ugly” monstrous project; how can governing body and Planning Board members allow?
Call upon our state legislators, Monmouth County elected officials and our congressman to reverse this public policy travesty. The Murphy administration should prevent overdevelopment statewide. New Jersey should remain the Garden State.
Deborah K. Smarth
Manalapan
