Residents raise traffic and zoning concerns at Hartz Walnut site; officials say development is paying higher taxes

Multiple members of the public used the Sept. 16 Township Committee meeting to press the committee on issues related to Hartz properties on Walnut Avenue and to request more timely traffic studies.

Speaker Christine Esposito asked why a Hartz sign labels 730–750 Walnut as the "Cranford Industrial Park," saying the location is in a commercial/residential area (the transcript identifies the zoning as C-3) and asking whether the property’s designation had changed. Esposito and others described heavy truck and car turning movements on Lexington Avenue and across Walnut during peak hours and asked the township to begin promised traffic studies and consider restricting through traffic on certain residential streets.

Resident Rita and others urged the committee to enforce required site maintenance and tree-removal performance bonds at nearby Hartz sites, to check whether Hartz would owe retroactive tax payments or pilot adjustments, and to pursue code enforcement where contractors may have dug basements or submitted incomplete permits. Mayor Terrence Curran said the township engineer had inspected vegetation and that Hartz’s property is “fully taxed,” producing increased revenue compared with prior use; the mayor said the township is receiving near‑term increases in receipts from that side of the property. Commissioner Andrews said the township plans a traffic study but would target spring after higher occupancy to capture a representative traffic pattern.

Officials told residents they would continue to follow up with inspections, enforcement where appropriate and formal traffic-study scheduling.