Community Voices: Keeping the ‘Garden’ in Garden State

There has been a lot of talk and focus regarding the results of the extraordinary rainstorm on July 14th. At one point during a recent Berkeley Heights Town Council meeting, the substitute attorney suggested this type of heavy storm is “the new normal”. That’s a claim that is becoming more and more frequent as some scientists, politicians, and news outlets point to climate change as a driver of extreme storms. We’ve also become complacent and uninvolved in decisions made by those we’ve elected to represent us; officials who are not making decisions that further the things they claim to care about.  When was the last time a large number of us wrote to our Congressmen, Senators, or Governor?

Now, this is not meant to be a political statement about climate change, however, there are ongoing practices in New Jersey that are moving us toward an environment that is not climate-friendly. As noted by several residents during public comment portions of the most recent Town Council meetings (including myself), overdevelopment is becoming an urgent issue that needs to be addressed, and here is where storm damage, climate change, and policy merge.

In an email I sent to the Mayor and Business Administrator following up on my comments during the meeting, I asked whether, if it could be shown that the new developments in Berkeley Heights were contributors to flooding, we might be able to seek some level of remedy or help from the state of New Jersey.  As the State has mandated that towns must provide “affordable” housing, those mandates have lead to nearly all the new development we’ve seen in our small town. Unfortunately, it appears our legislators at the state level don’t care. The politicians who bemoan damage to our environment due to climate change don’t care that their mandates are leading to loss of habitat, fewer permeable surfaces, run-off problems and flooding. It’s all lip service. (I’ll go so far as to say they don’t really care about affordable housing, either, but that’s another subject.)  Take a look at the provisions given to Nokia to move to a brand-new facility.  More development for both New Brunswick, and eventually Berkeley Heights.  The grassy acres surrounding that facility, while not exactly the best habitat for insects and birds, will become inhabitable roofs, roads, driveways and sidewalks.

Even as we build, and build, and build, there are some small successes and ways we can combat the feel of our town becoming urbanized. We can keep gardens and share the harvest with friends and neighbors. During a search to see whether I could keep bees (the answer to that is not clear yet), I found that our town was named a “Bee City” earlier this year – a designation that could help build awareness and encourage residents to keep plantings for pollinators.  A friend will be seeking a permit to keep chickens, as a number of other town residents do.  We can teach our children to keep our town clean and not to leave trash in their wake.  Most of all, we can – in fact we NEED to – work together to protect our town’s many green spaces.

Some are protected, for the time being, by virtue of being designated wetlands by the State.  Much of the land is Green Acres.  While these protections are in place now, we need to be vigilant about changes coming from Trenton.  It’s time we start getting involved in matters like the Mount Laurel Doctrine.  Our legislators are elected – every single one of them, and they need to be responsive and accountable for decisions that are making New Jersey less of a Garden State and more a concrete jungle.  All things can change, and that includes policy, doctrine, and mandates.  We can start by making ourselves heard; being the squeaky wheel that gets the attention.  Consider taking ten minutes out of your day and express your own opinions to those who govern – our state needs us.

The views expressed belong to the author.  NJ21st shares this content to inform the community and encourage discussion.

As a non-commercial and ad-free, free platform, we rely on you to help us grow. If you value independent coverage of local government, please consider helping us out.

Read More Community Voices

Subscribe to NJ21st For Free

Our Commitment to Ethical Journalism