Public urged to oppose South Brunswick warehouse proposal

We want to voice our strong opposition to Matrix's proposal for the warehouse complexes on Route 130 and Friendship Road in South Brunswick Township. This will only add to an existing glut of vacant warehouses in the area. To see the complete Matrix Business Park at 8A go www.matrixcompanies.com/index1.html.

As concerned citizens, we fear the increase in traffic will result in backups and delays, producing more congestion and noise in the already crowded New Jersey Turnpike Interchange 8A corridor. With more big rigs on the road traveling at 55 mph or more, accidents are inevitable. And as the complex encroaches on the woods, deer will be driven out and onto the hoods of our cars.

Idling big rigs attempting to turn at inadequate intersections is a recipe for disaster. The increase in diesel fumes emitted from these trucks will affect not only the senior communities nearby, but also young families in adjoining developments. In fact, it affects everybody. And speaking of air pollution, the average lifetime diesel soot cancer risk for a resident of Middlesex County is already one in 1,788. This risk is 559 times greater than EPA's acceptable cancer level of one in a million, according to CATF. Lung cancer is not far behind.

Part of the proposed complex infringes on designated wetlands. Drinking Brook and its unique flora and fauna, along with its tree frogs, will be destroyed. Furthermore, the presence of these large impervious surfaces will increase the potential for flooding in an already-flood-prone environment.

We have a responsibility to future generations to protect and improve the environment, not to destroy it with superfluous structures. After all, do we really need an additional 1.5 million square feet of warehouse/light industrial space when we currently have 1,962,598 square feet of vacant warehouses between the turnpike at 8A, and 130, 522 and Route 32?

We urge the public to stand up and be heard on this issue at the South Brunswick Planning Board meeting scheduled for Aug. 15 at 7 p.m. at the municipal building. For more information, or if you would like to become more involved, contact Carol James at (732) 329-6642 or e-mail cajames@mac.com.

Carol James

South Brunswick

(for Judith Caccavale, Lynne

Hyman, Elisabeth King and Elisabeth Nisbet; Friends of Southern Middlesex County)