Plan for 10 houses on farm to be heard

EAST BRUNSWICK — A plan that would see 10 single-family homes built on the Foerter Farm will be back before the Planning Board Aug. 5.

The Planning Board has held two hearings on the application since May. Mayor David Stahl, who also sits on the board, said there have been no major changes to the proposal since it was filed, and that the applicant still needs to present more testimony.

Several residents and a local environmental group have raised concerns about the plan to subdivide the produce farm on Riva Avenue.

Lawrence Brook Watershed Partnership member Michael Shakarjian said his group has many concerns about the proposal. One is how the development would affect the quality of drinking water drawn from the adjacent Farrington Lake. Milltown, New Brunswick and Franklin Township use the lake as a source of potable water.

Shakarjian said his group works to keep the watershed area clean and stop degradation of water used for drinking.

"That is at the top of our list," he said.

The environmental group is also concerned about the potential impact of new septic systems on the lake. Storm water is also an issue, Shakarjian said, adding that although the plan calls for a detention basin, he questions whether it would be adequate for handling larger storms.

The group has also raised concerns about the loss of wildlife habitat.

"That area is a wildlife corridor," he said. "The ability to move for wildlife would be limited. It is also a picturesque area."

The loss of trees is another issue. Shakarjian said the view of the property from the North Brunswick side is entirely woods. "We are concerned that could be affected by the houses being seen or trees coming down between the homes and the lake," he said.

Shakarjian said the applicant plans to preserve some trees, while removing others. Still others are not acknowledged. He said about 160 trees were counted, and to his knowledge about 25 would come down. But he said the focus of the count was larger trees, so anything less than 20 inches in diameter may also come down.

"If they counted them, they did not list them," he said of the smaller trees.

According to a letter sent to residents by the Lawrence Brook group, the property is one of the last unprotected farms in East Brunswick. It is located in the township's rural preservation zone and designated by the state as an environmentally sensitive area.

"Also, the farm has been on the East Brunswick priority list for some time. We think it would be best for the entire parcel to be protected," Shakarjian said.

Attorney Bruce Samuels, who represents the applicant, could not be reached for this story.

Justin Yost, an engineer for the applicant, testified at a previous hearing that the farm would be subdivided into 13 lots, including 10 for the new homes; one for the existing farmhouse; another for the greenhouse, farming uses and open space; and one for storm water management. Most of the lots would be about 1 acre in size, he said, although the farmhouse lot would be closer to 2 acres. The open space area being preserved would be nearly 13 acres.

The proposed dwellings would have a footprint of about 4,000 square feet each, and up to three garage bays.

The plan calls for disturbing only about one-third of the total 29-acre property, Yost said.A

new roadway with a cul-de-sac is proposed to accommodate the development. The new road would connect to Farrington Avenue, which runs from Riva Avenue to Farrington Lake, just south of the farm. Some residents of the area have expressed concerns about the idea of using Farrington Avenue as an access road to the development.

The property is the estate of Barbara Foerter, a well-known volunteer in town who operated the fruits and vegetables farm until her death at the age of 65 in September 2002. Foerter left the farm to several organizations, relatives and friends. Janet Slaboda and Maryann Pawlek, who were among the beneficiaries, filed the building plans.