Wary Residents Celebrate a Victory Over Planned Facility

It only took about an hour for word to spread through the Emerson Lane neighborhood, where residents had organized in opposition to the proposed Berkeley Aquatics Center, that the Berkeley Township Council put a major roadblock before the plans.

"I certainly think they made the right decision," Ira Jersey, treasurer of the nieghborhood Stop the BAC group opposing the plans, said. "The BAC is a great facility—but we have to find a more suitable location for it."

The Berkeley Township Council voted 5-1 Tuesday not to amend an agreement with Warren Township only allowing for residential sewer connections from Warren. Without the change, the BAC proposal may not be able to proceed since no sewer service is available.

BAC owner Jim Wood faced tough opposition to his plans to move to Warren with the construction of a nearly 52,000 sq. foot facility off of Emerson Lane from the get-go. A packed room attended thefirst hearing for the proposal at the Planning Board, with many opposing the project; then the plans weren't approved by the Warren Township Sewerage Authority.

Emerson Lane resident Jonathan Wishnia, who filed an appeal of Warren Township Zoning Officer John Chadwick's ruling on the proposed use of the site (the Zoning Board upheld Chadwick's ruling), agreed with Jersey that the decision was a good one.

"This is, obviously, a victory for the neighborhood and relief for the very frayed nerves of a lot of people worried that our no-street light, well water only community would be destroyed by a gargantuan, commercial facility," he said. "At the same time, we must remain vigilant and assume BAC will continue this fight that no one living in the area wants."

Wishnia added the property was purchased outright for $3 million, so more battles over the proposal should be expected.  

"They chose not to purchase contingently, which means they are locked into this land," he said. "While I have no doubt that a builder would love to buy the land for residential construction, I would be surprised if BAC went that route.

Jersey said the Stop the BAC group would "continue to monitor the situation," and Wisnia has filed a legal challenge to the Zoning Board's decision.