Community Corner

Resident Discusses "Threat" to Forest Landscape

Resident Nick Homyak pens Patch Letter to the Editor.

The greatest crisis facing Parsipanny is the Threat from the RDR developer to destroy the last remaining mature forested sloped landscape on Route 46.

This is no ordinary Block Lot. Its natural undeveloped resource is part of the aquifer water system of the New Jersey Highlands.

A Rutgers university study has identified this very area for preservation of biodiversity and aquifer recharge its fits perfectly into criteria that would protect it from development because of its value to the integrity of the Highlands, which accounts for 65% of the States drinking water while making up 17% of the States landmass.

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This 65% is ever shrinking because of poor decisions and bad policies that favor private over public interest. Apparently the present administration does not think much of the fact that Parsipanny belongs to the Highlands region and chooses not to participate in protecting our drinking water through various Highlands compliance that would secure a healthier well-being for us now and into the future.

Landscape; definitions Webster dictionary; Landscape denotes the traits,patterns,and structure of a specific geographic area, including its biological composition, its physical environment and its anthropogenic or social patterns. In this sense the term applies to a particular cultural-temporal or societal view of nature and the place of humans in it. The Barberio administration sees none of the natural aspects of benefit from simply allowing this resource to play its role in the ecological sphere of its god given natural wealth as part of the aquifer water system that we rely on.

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Parsipanny already buys water from a private water company to meet the Townships allotments and recently part of our aquifer was found polluted most likely from storm run-off and had to be aerated at tax payers costs.  

So are we headed for higher water bills for water of dubious quality?

If development such as this continues surely we are. Probability alone, shrinking landmass do to development and more people who do not treat the land with respect. One obvious result that will not take long will be the litter, trash, noise and air pollution. Not taking pride in the fact that Parsipanny belong to the Highlands is having false pride in shallow values. This developer is being unreasonable, uncaring and in defiance of the State Master Plan for development. 

Plenty of Brown Space; already developed property already exist. We need see the forest for the trees enough helter-skelter dumb development keep the original landscape make it part of the NJ Highlands ecology of economy. Our present method of economy and development of land for short term self-centered goals that benefit few, is our ruination as a people. They have outlived their benefits to the society long ago. 26 plus more acres for unwanted unneeded destruction is too too much.

Nick Homyak
Lake Hiawatha


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