SCHISLER FARM: The farm is in Hamilton's Agricultural Development Area in North Crosswicks and is slated for a housing development; Mike Buriani and Ed Pfeiffer have discussed it, and they think the development will be very difficult to stop. There are forests and wetlands on the site; Ed will make a statement at the next Hamilton Township meeting. Ed doesn't know the details about what stage the development proposal is in, but it's in the red zone of the BIG Map. There is a group of residents, the Crosswicks Creek Association, working on this issue who are working with representatives from Green Acres.
MATRIX:
We are still waiting for a report on the DEP's Letter of Interpretation. Our strategy is to keep the area in the red zone of BIG Map and to delay the project.
POLE FARM/LAWRENCE-HOPEWELL BIKE TRAIL:
Mike Buriani and Pat Sayles went to the first public trail meeting. Some of the trail will be on the Pole Farm's paved path, and some will be on a dirt path. Mike talked to one of the planners; they're going ahead with what they planned. We still need to press the issue that the park still has no master plan and that the trail shouldn't be built without a master plan. Mike raised this question, but the plan seems like a done deal. The meeting was more of a presentation, so there wasn't much of a chance for input. Meanwhile, the Park Commission contacted the County Planning Office about our concern, who responded that the path is primarily the existing road, with repaving of the existing roadway (which we had planned), and consistency with the public's desire for passive recreation. The bike trail will be part of a comprehensive plan. There will be a master plan in the future, with the opportunity for public comment. But the County didn't answer our master plan question. Mike has sent a letter to Donna Lewis of Mercer County stating our position.
PRINCETON RIDGE:
The PA5 area that was permitted for building will now only have half the number of buildings. The Princeton Packet wrote an article about it.
PENNS NECK AREA EIS:
In Progress Review II comments are due March 19. Laura sent an e-mail with details to the Central Jersey Group Executive Committe, and wrote a letter on Sierra Club letterhead with comments in the New Jersey Chapter's name. Ed Pfeiffer also wrote a letter, but not as a Sierran.
NATIONAL FOREST PROTECTION
Nancy Carringer went to Washington, DC to join in a lobby week for national forest protection; she met with legislative assistants for both Nj Senators and Representatives Smith, Holt, Garrett, LoBiondo, and Saxton. Nancy sent each of them a follow-up, reminding them to sign onto a letter to Bush expressing displeasure with the administration's forest policy (House), and to cosponsor HR652. In the Senate, a similar bill, the National Forest Roadless Preservation Act, needs cosponsors, so Nancy asked the Senators to join in.
