I find myself in a strange position of agreeing with representatives of both county and state governments. I completely agree with Steve McCarron’s statement that both the county and state need to “confront reality that has been ignored for far too long.” I also agree with Rep. Claire Snyder-Hall insofar as the county itself has brought about a major part of the problem by allowing such uncontrolled development, knowing that our infrastructure is woefully inadequate to handle such growth. However, enough with the finger-pointing. Both have equal culpability in allowing and sustaining over-the-top development. This appears to be a classic example of which came first, the chicken or the egg? I’m afraid it’s us poor chickens that must live with the consequences of this lack of planning and action.
I must admit my wife and I are part of the problem, having retired here from central New Jersey 12 years ago. We love this area and all that it has to offer. Unfortunately, the area has morphed into an increasingly frustrating mess.
What will come next of the Atlantic Fields project area? Will it metastasize into yet another housing development requiring developers to only improve a small patchwork of roadway? Will it be tied up in endless and costly litigation?
I know there are no easy solutions to these issues. We are where we are, regardless of who did or didn’t do whatever. We look to our elected leaders to address these conundrums, not argue about who is at fault. It is not sustainable to require developers to improve only small sections of roadways. Housing projects are being pushed farther into our rich farmlands, forgetting that, in addition to the already stressed resources, all the new households require adequate roads, and qualified medical and safety services.
It seems that logical first steps would be to halt the unbridled approval of new housing developments. Alternatively, perhaps zoning requirements could be revised so all new residential construction requires a minimum lot size of 1 acre and infrastructure improvement contributions, which would certainly slow the current pace of the viral infection commonly referred to as growth or progress.
We must continue to hold elected officials accountable unless and until all involved in the decision-making process can begin to address the reality and come up with solutions with which, I am certain, not everyone will be happy. Maybe therein lies the solution? Tick everyone off. Make no one completely happy.
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