Board opposes new zoning for farm
So. Brunswick residents come out in strong opposition to plan
BY MELISSA CIFELLI
Staff Writer

It was Pulda farm Part Two.Dozens of residents packed a South Brunswick Planning Board meeting last week in opposition to a proposal to rezone a large farm tract from rural residential (RR) to light industrial (LI).

Like the controversial application to build homes on a farm in neighboring North Brunswick, the land is owned by the Pulda family and is being proposed for development by Edgewood Properties owner Jack Morris.

Residents carried anti-traffic and development signs, and many were forced to watch the meeting from chairs set up in a lobby as the board deliberated the status of zoning.

At issue is the future of 220 acres of historic farmland and 50 acres of wetland areas along Davidsons Mill Road.

The site also sits upon an aquifer; 100 acres of the site is designated as a low recharge area and 70 acres a high recharge area. Bordering the farm is the Pigeon Swamp State Park.

According to residents, the farm holds an 18th-century farmhouse and slave graveyard. The township’s master plan also lists the Pulda farm as a significant historic resource.

The board was unanimous in its decision to recommend the zoning remain the same. However, there was discussion on delaying the vote due to complexity of the issue.

“To dishonor these sites for warehouses is beyond ridiculous,” Planning Board member Debbie Johnson said.

The issue, according to Johnson, is not complex but one of the need to preserve the history and culture of the township. The master plan, according to Johnson, categorized the Pulda farm as one of the last historic working farms in the township that is not protected as open space.

According to Johnson, constructing anything on the sensitive wetland area, particularly in an area already full of abandoned warehouses, would have little benefit to the community.

The rezoning request would allow the farm owner and Morris to construct between 3.3 and 3.4 million square feet for three offices just north of Pigeon Swamp State Park.

According to representatives of the applicant, the warehouses would be set 300 acres away from Davidsons Mill Road, and clustered together, in hopes of preserving more open space. A septic system is also proposed by the developer.

Members of the community came out in full force at the meeting against any development of the farm.

Chief concerns among residents included the loss of historic and environmentally sensitive property, coupled with increased truck traffic.

South Brunswick’s Janet Koenig said residents were originally promised development of warehouses only on the eastern side of the turnpike.

The Pulda farm, Koenig said, must be preserved forever and any decision to rezone it would run contrary to community values.

Resident and Advisory Board of Health Chairman John Saccenti, in his statement, implored the township to think of long-term health and environmental effects of a zoning change.

“The government of South Brunswick has a moral and ethical commitment to, among other things, protect the health of its citizens, and the homes, property and environment in which we live,” Saccenti said.

The master plan, according to Saccenti, should not be broken for political expediency or to bring in extra dollars. Any change, according to Saccenti, would be immoral and foolish.

Various agencies such as the Lawrence Brook Watershed Partnership, the South Brunswick Environmental Commission and the South Brunswick Advisory Board of Health all opposed the rezoning change.

According to Michael Shakarjian, the Lawrence Brook Watershed Partnership (LBWP) is committed to working with township and residents to stop rezoning.

According to statements released by the LBWP, the township’s master plan provides the support for protecting property from such development. The farm is listed in the Historic Preservation Plan Element as eligible for State and National Historic registers, according to the group.

The farm is also listed as a parcel in the township’s Agricultural Development Area (ADA) as well as one of the top 10 most desirable parcels for protection by the township’s Open Space Committee.

According to LBWP, there is no sound basis for rezoning the property for light industry when the master plan is considered.

“Consistent with the master plan, the LBWP considers farming as the highest and best use of this property, with open space as a distant second priority. We regard these as the only acceptable options for the Van Dyke [Pulda Farm],” the statement said.

No date has been set for when the council will review recommendations and make a decision on the farm’s zoning.

Despite the Planning Board’s recommendation to leave the zone unchanged, residents remain cautiously optimistic.

Klimowicz, along with resident’s of Davidsons Mill have started a petition against warehouse development.

In addition, residents have recently formed the Eastern Village Association of South Brunswick, which includes Fresh Ponds, Rhode Hall, Cottage Village and Ireland Brook to deal with community issues.

So far the petition has roughly 440 signatures but no presentation has been made yet to the council.

Klimowicz said he was happy with the Planning Board’s recommendation and hopes the council will vote to keep the farm zoned as rural residential.

Despite the victory, Klimowicz said he is still nervous about the farm’s future.

“We’re not letting our guard down,” he said.