Development plans threaten Buena Vista Pinelands

[pinelandpaddler]

Should we spend public funds to encourage exurban sprawl in a United Nation's designated International Biosphere Reserve and then call it Smart Growth?

http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/182/story/333043.html

 

[Teegate]

I see you received the same email I did

Anyway, I love how they think that because the residents did not show up meant they were for it. Did they ever think they felt the land was protected in the first place and they should not have to go. Or maybe they have busy lives and the people planning this know that.

Guy

 

[Teegate]

All,

If you want to read more on this you can check out the pdf files I have attached.These were supplied to me by Mark Demitroff. Even if you are not interested in his fight, you still should check out his pdf on spungs, cipples, and other formations in the pines.


If I have my facts straight this is the road where the redevelopment would occur.

And what it may look like.

Various pdf file you may find interesting. The first one is a must read in my opinion. Give it time to load and you can make it bigger by right clicking, at least on my Mac I can,


http://teegate.njpinebarrens.com/12092008/Demitroff_and_Nelson2008.pdf


http://teegate.njpinebarrens.com/12092008/ComarMeeting.pdf

Guy

 

[Teegate]

A little clarification.


Guy,

I'm sorry to have confused things. The first figure is from the initial Pine Road redevelopment prospectus, as the site looks today. PineRoadDeveloped.pdf is the Township's vision for the Pine Road entrance, which is the location of the sand track you see in the first figure. Note that this is not a developer's scheme, but is a municipality using public money from the Office of Smart Growth to promote sprawl in forested land. Technically, the land has been abandoned for more than ten years making it eligible for redevelopment. In actuality, this is nearly all woods that has never seen development. If approved at the Pinelands Commission level, much of the Pinelands could be considered "abandoned land." Feel free to print the preceding statement for clarity.

The black-and-white sketches are Buena Vista Township's vision for Richland Village, where the Mayor has stated he want to bring in multi-million dollar ratables.

Mark

 

[PancoastDrifter]

This is not organic growth and only spurred on by government searching for revenue. Bad governing chasing bad ideas with developers holding carrots. Same type of thing happened at the old Stafford dump.

 

[Boyd]

I drive past the COMAR plant frequently since it's not too far from my home. Unless I'm mistaken, this is the plant so I guess the area in question lies between Tuckahoe Rd and Rt 40: http://maps.njpinebarrens.com/#lat=39.49066192386959&lng=-74.90098714828491&z=16&type=h&gpx=

Richland is an odd place. I don't really know the story behind it but it appears they got some sort of funding to restore the "main street" area along Rt 40 and have added signage, nice streetlights, etc. It's sort of a change from the other little towns in the area and they seem to have done a nice job. But it looks "all dressed up with no place to go" because there aren't many businesses there, and in the current economy I doubt that will change anytime soon. Someone began renovating a restaurant on Rt 40 last year and now it sits half finished with a forsale sign out front.

I hate to see woods vanishing and ugly developments taking their place, but I also wonder if this project will ever get off the ground. There doesn't seem to be much demand for "multi million dollar ratables" in this part of Atlantic County these days so hopefully it will die a natural death.