Residents in Pennington Point have concerns about the environment and traffic
PENNINGTON -- Residents of Pennington Point always knew that something would be built on the parklike grounds of Capital Health's old Pennington campus next door. But with the 80-unit project called "Heritage at Pennington" proposed for the 13 acres, they want to make sure that the development is done right.
"We knew that something would be developed there," said Terry Evanko, president of the over-55 condo association. "That didn't come as any surprise."
But they have some concerns about the development's impact on traffic and the environment and she said addressing them now will be as much of a benefit to the future residents as it is to Pennington Point.
Woodbridge-based American Properties is again going before the planning board on Wednesday. The project would have 32 market-rate villas, 32 market-rate townhomes and 16 affordable flats across 19 buildings.
Among the residents' concerns are ensuring that a wider wetlands transition area is created to serve as a wildlife corridor and a larger buffer sit between the two developments.
"If you do something right, it improves everything," Evanko said. "If they don't take care of the wetlands and there isn't something there to make sure things are maintained, there could be a big problem."
But the biggest issue revolves around water.
Ed DiFiglia, a municipal policy specialist with the Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Association, said there are some concerns with the proposed detention basin.
The borough's Well No. 8 is already susceptible to contaminants, but the basin's close proximity could increase the potential for contamination.
The watershed association is also worried about the potential environmental impacts of the increased water level and velocity that would enter the Stony Brook.
The amount of impervious cover increases with the new houses and roads, DiFiglia said.
"All of the water infiltrating down into the ground is piped and pushed into the detention basin, then piped out of there when it overflows and into a tributary of the Stony Brook," he said.
The residents are advocating that the large basin instead be replaced with stormwater recharge devices scattered throughout the project in the form of drywells, under-pavement storage and small wet-tolerant basins.
"It is essential that stormwater recharge be as far away from the on-site wellhead protection area as possible," they wrote in a letter to the borough's environmental commission.
Apart from the environmental concerns, the residents are also worried about the increased traffic that the 80-unit development would bring to the area. Traffic gets backed up now in the mornings and afternoons, but they fear that it'll only worsen.
Wednesday's meeting starts at 7:30 p.m. in Pennington's Borough Hall.
Cristina Rojas may be reached at crojas@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @CristinaRojasTT. Find The Times of Trenton on Facebook.