Schools

Homestead Village Resident asks Twp. to Help With Ridge Traffic Solution

Longtime resident says Homestead Village neighbors have long tolerated impact on their quality of life.

The following is an open letter to the Bernards Township Committee, dated Oct. 12.

Esteemed members of the Bernards Township Committee:

As I write this letter I am extremely perplexed. It was this time last year that I followed news articles about the TC’s  need to preserve the quality of life for the residents that border the Bamboo Grille.  As I recall, great expense (attorney’s fees) was spent fighting for the rights of a few residents due to a noise violation. Quality of life was mentioned, right to quality of life, etc. It is time to take the same gusto and address the problem of traffic in Homestead village.

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We as a community are tired of being “put on a shelf” until we rear our ugly heads again. Homestead Village residents’ are not ugly TC, but we will be persistent. When my husband and I moved into this town 21 years ago, the landscape of Bernards Township schools was drastically different. Cedar Hill had two grades and the average graduating class from Ridge was just over 100 young adults. Yes, we were excited as newly married couples to live near a school and “dream” of our children eventually attending. 

Fast forward — never anticipated turf, never anticipated, lights, never anticipated PA systems being used 12 hours a day on Saturday’s and Sundays.  Never anticipated inappropriate music playing to “pump up the athletes” Monday through Friday, lack of bathroom facilities for those who rent the fields, families who feel the need to tailgate in the Cedar Hill parking lot for pee wee football and soccer.  LOVE RHS FRIDAY NIGHT NIGHTS! 

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Finally, never anticipated the traffic and 27 buses that fly through our neighborhood with no consideration of our “QUALITY OF LIFE.”  We, as a community, have typically had open dialogue with the BOE when decisions have been made. So what happened to our right to quality of life?  May we use the district attorney and the town’s money to preserve our rights? It doesn’t take a genius to see the irony here. We tolerate school noise violations and inconveniences 10 months out of a year. The Bamboo Grille situation was four-months tops!

I understand at this point that the BOE is literally handcuffed to the whim of the Township Committee. We, of Homestead Village do not want to anger our S. Finley neighbors. So, let’s hope that the third task force in 6 months can come up with the genius plan to make everyone happy. I hope the Chief of Police is on the task force, since it is his facility that is ultimately the stumbling block of the engineers’ recommendations.  You are governing body and you have been asked repeatedly for help — so help!

Bernards Township has grown and good for us!  Our schools are the best in the nation and we are a product of our own success!  So with the many great minds in this community, please, sit down and solve the LONG TERM problem.  Our neighborhood is not the panacea fix. Homestead Village is a proud and cohesive unit that will continue to question your ability to govern.  Especially when the governing isn’t exactly fair based on prior judgment. Do the right thing TC – talk with the BOE and members of the task force. Since Collyer Lane is “off the table,”  you may have to access through S. Maple as painful and expensive as that may be. Homestead Village deserves better than what you have provided.

Sincerely,

Candace Hull

45 Peachtree Road


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