Residents continue fighting the proposed Lambertville High School Development Plan and make their options heard on the site in the city.
In addition to public outcry against the redevelopment plan, the site now faces a new hurdle: forever chemicals on the site. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl chemicals, commonly known as PFAS chemicals, were found on Connaught Hill, which is where 200 housing units were planned to be built.
PFAS chemicals can contaminate the water supplies and have been linked to certain types of cancers.
After a positive PFAS test was administered by city officials, Mayor Andrew Nowick recommended at August’s City of Lambertville Council meeting that residents of the surrounding Connaught Hill area get their wells tested.
“I am angry and I am frightened to learn that we have been drinking poisonous water for 20 years due to the negligence of not cleaning up the site,” Lambertville resident Beth O’Brien said during public comment. “Residents of Connaught Hill pay our taxes just like everyone else. We continue to pay taxes even though our properties are now worthless due to well contamination and that’s no fault of our own. We have a right to clean water.”
To make matters worse developer K. Hovnanian gave city officials an ultimatum by informing city them the proposed number of 200 housing units is non-negotiable.
If the city wants to decrease the amount of affordable housing to something more reasonable, K. Hovnanian will back out of the deal entirely, officials said.
K. Hovnaian, a large real estate developer with lawsuits against them from past construction projects, has stated their plan for the site is to build the required amount of housing units and then make the remaining houses normal housing.
“We have a commitment for affordable housing. We have a commitment to the environment. We’re a flood prone town–we’re lucky no one’s ever died here,” Lambertville resident Jeff Tittle said during public comment. “If we build on the mountain–you give into developers and they run the show. You don’t have a government anymore and you don’t have a town anymore. People who live in this town will all have to buy snorkels.”
Many members of city council is in agreement that 200 housing units is a bad idea and that the city needs guardrails in place for their affordable housing plan.
Overall, the bulk of residents agree that affordable housing is a dire need in the City of Lambertville, they just don’t want it to be built on Connaught Hill where the old Lambertville High School once sat.
Other affordable housing options have been pitched by city residents. The options include the Closson Farm Property, Finkles on Coryell Street, and even collaborating with Fisherman’s Mark or Habitat for Humanity to get the job done.
Councilwoman Karen Kominsky agreed with many residents, stating it could be a great idea to get involved with Habitat for Humanity or Fisherman’s Mark.
This way, she said, the city could apply for the affordable housing trust fund and perhaps other government benefits the city qualifies for.
While these options drew some interest from residents, time is of the essence.
The city needs to build 32 affordable housing units by June 2025 due to a past court agreement.
The timeline matters because if the city fails to meet the required number of affordable housing, the New Jersey Courts will get involved. They could take over affordable housing in the city and build the required units where they please.
Councilman Evan Lide is working with the judges to ensure this doesn’t happen.
Essentially, he is looking to negotiate with the judge by telling him their dilemma and the hurdles they’ve jumped to get this far. By doing so, officials hope, the judge could possibly sympathize with the city and potentially buy them more time or help them find better options.
An Affordable Housing Advisory Committee is being created to get more community involvement in the affordable housing project.
The committee will be made up of concerned residents, small business owners, landlords and other stakeholders within the community.
Nowick said he was happy to get the committee up and running and is happy to work with them.
The Lambertville High School Redevelopment Plan has been in the works in some way, shape, or form since 2018.
An affordable housing public information session will be held on Monday, September 9, at 7 p.m. in the Phillip L. Pittore Justice Center.
The information session will give residents an opportunity to ask further questions and get a better understanding of where the city’s at in terms of building affordable housing.
For more information on the affordable housing public information session: https://lambertvillenj.org/news-hidden/1069-affordable-housing-info-session-monday-sept-9
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