Concerns Remain over County's Clark Reservoir Plans
By David Brighouse,
2024-09-07
Clark Reservoir. Credits: David Brighouse
CLARK, NJ — TAPinto Clark recently reported that Union County, in response to vocal concerns and feedback from Clark residents and those living in neighboring towns, had agreed to modify its plans for its Clark Reservoir Project. Nonetheless, as evidenced at this past Wednesday's Union County Board of County Commissioners meeting, concerns remain.
One lingering contentious issue is a proposed boat ramp at the end of Wendell Place in Clark, to which some residents object, but which the County said is now part of its plan for the Clark Reservoir that will not change.
TAPinto Clark has an article coming out soon about the Commissioners meeting. In the meantime, we share the words of one concerned Clark resident, Thailary Zommer, who sent us the below comments:
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New plans with renderings were announced on September 4, 2024, but the revised proposal [for the Clark Reservoir Project] still includes the Wendell Place parking lot and boat ramp.
As a resident of Union County and a concerned member of our community, I am writing to urge the Union County Commissioners to remove the proposed parking lot and boat ramp at the end of Wendell Place. We appreciate the concessions made by the Commissioners from the original development plans, which recognize the County’s desire to make the space accessible to all of Union County’s citizens. However, more needs to be addressed—specifically, the proposal to remove forested land in favor of parking lots for more than ten vehicles and a boat ramp at the terminus of Wendell Place in Clark, New Jersey.
The homes along Wendell Place, Terhune Road, Whitley Terrace, Lefferts Lane, and Shetland Dr. create a haven where children can often be found playing in the street, riding their bikes, and enjoying the safety of our crescent-shaped community. It is a small residential neighborhood with no through streets. The width of the roads does not accommodate vehicles traveling in both directions when cars are parked on either side, requiring drivers to pull aside to allow another driver to pass. Residents who live here know this; the occasional passerby may not. With no street signs, stop signs, or road markings, courtesy between neighbors is paramount. And with no sidewalks, the street itself becomes a playground, fostering a sense of community and closeness. My children (3.5 years old and 2 years old) can often be seen riding their tricycles from our home to nearby Esposito Park or strolling through the neighborhood, with us trailing behind.
This proposed parking lot and boat ramp are misplaced in the middle of a residential neighborhood. They disrupt the natural habitat, increase traffic, and undermine the serenity of a neighborhood where children play freely. This peaceful, family-oriented environment is one of the many reasons we love living here. Our local forest is not just a patch of green space; it is a thriving ecosystem, a refuge for wildlife (including bald eagles, foxes, and fawns), and an essential resource that sustains the environmental health of our area. Its preservation is directly tied to the tranquility we cherish in our neighborhood.
The insistence by the Union County Commissioners that recreation on the Clark Reservoir requires three boat ramps is without any stated need or necessity. If the Commissioners insist on three boat ramps and paved lots, perhaps the Commissioners should consider locating one at the bend on Madison Hill Road. Relocating the parking lot and boat ramp to a more suitable location would mitigate these impacts and align with the County’s values of preserving our environmental heritage while ensuring necessary access.
The benefits of preserving this forest extend far beyond its borders. Forests provide clean air by absorbing carbon dioxide, help regulate local temperatures, and prevent soil erosion. They also serve as natural flood barriers, absorbing excess rainwater that would otherwise contribute to flooding in developed areas. Just beyond the forest slated for destruction is the Garden State Parkway. Undoubtedly, the forest provides an added barrier to the noise pollution that emanates from cars and motorcycles at all hours of the day. These environmental protections contribute to the safety and charm of our streets, where families can continue to thrive.
I thank all the neighbors who spoke at the County Commissioners’ meeting on September 4, 2024, and I hope the Commissioners listen. Their pleas inspired this author to write this letter. Our town’s identity is closely tied to the Clark Reservoir’s natural beauty and peaceful atmosphere, and we must be vigilant in protecting it. I encourage the Union County Commissioners to address the misplaced boat ramp at the end of Wendell Place and continue exploring alternative solutions that do not sacrifice the environment. Let us work together to create a future that balances growth with sustainability, ensuring that this forest remains a legacy for our children and all who come after us.
Lastly, I plead with the New Jersey Conservation Foundation, as a stakeholder in the Clark Reservoir Preserve, to reverse its prior stance and favor preserving our local forest. Of historical significance, on March 6, 1997, the Middlesex Water Company transferred the Clark Reservoir Preserve to the Township of Clark and transferred a conservation easement on the property to the New Jersey Conservation Foundation. The Conservation Easement remains in full force and effect, in perpetuity. The stated purpose of the Conservation Easement was that the property “be forever retained as open space for natural resource conservation uses and for wildlife habitat; that the Property be kept free of all residential, agricultural and … commercial uses of any kind; that no activities be permitted to occur on the Property which might damage, compromise, or interfere with the ecological diversity, natural beauty, and resource quality of the Property or the natural processes occurring therein; that the reservoir on the Property and its associated woodlands be preserved, and that the Conservation Values be respected, preserved, and … given priority over concerns in the use and management of the property.”
I ask the New Jersey Conservation Foundation to reconsider the long-term consequences of losing this cherished natural resource.
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