newjerseyhills.com
Original Article
EDITOR: Last May, site developer Prism Capital Partners presented to the Long Hill Township Committee a proposal to erect a complex of buildings on the Tifa site in Millington. This 12-acre complex would include eight multi-story buildings, with retail space on the ground floors and 220 apartments housing at least 425 people on the upper floors.
This proposal raises important questions that our town officials must be prepared to address when this proposal is open for public comment and the Township Committee votes whether to allow this complex to be built.
The key issue of the Prism plan is the impact of its density. The Township’s Master Plan states that average density per square mile in Long Hill is 725 people. The Prism plan yields a density 35 times that, not counting daytime use from the proposed retail space.
The public needs to know how this will impact our infrastructure, traffic, services and aesthetics given its proximity to the historic Millington station building. Though the project may yield substantial revenue to the township, do we know if this income will fully offset the potential costs of such a large increase in population and traffic? In other words, might it cost us money in the long run?
Late this year or early in 2017, the Township Committee will consider public comments on this project It is the duty of our public officials to address how the Prism proposal will affect our tax bills and our community. Please stay informed on when the public comment period is and make your voice heard as the process goes forward.
JILL POZAREK
Millington