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Lambertville mayor says city will not extend developer designation for high‑school redevelopment site
Summary
Mayor Noah read a Dec. 6 letter notifying the developer that the city will not extend its conditional designation for the high‑school redevelopment area, citing stormwater, traffic, a former landfill and groundwater contamination; the city notified the court and scheduled a public meeting on affordable housing for Jan. 6.
Mayor Noah read a letter dated 12/06/2024 telling the developer that the city will not extend its conditional developer designation for the high‑school redevelopment area, saying the decision follows “multiple proposals and discussions” and resident concerns.
The mayor said the city had heard “concerns of residents relating to, among other issues, extensive impact of stormwater runoff… and traffic circulation on Collin Hill,” and also raised concerns about a former landfill on the property and “contamination of groundwater wells that serve… residential properties nearby,” which influenced the decision to step away. The mayor said the city has sent a letter to the court advising it of the decision and that the designation expires tomorrow.
Why it matters: the site had been tied to the town’s housing plan; the mayor acknowledged city officials are considering options to meet the municipality’s affordable‑housing obligations and said they will bring a potential project forward when ready. The mayor said a public meeting on affordable housing is scheduled for Jan. 6 and will include the city’s affordable housing attorney, Clark Kenton Hintz, and members of the advisory community.
Public reaction at the meeting included residents urging changes to the town’s zoning and housing plan. Jeff Piddle (33 Wilson Street) told the council “we still have the issue of the current adoption plan from 2018 and ’20, which is that someone could come in with 140 units in a row,” and urged a vacant‑land adjustment and attention to steep slopes and contamination risks. Beth O’Brien (Hockstreet) thanked the council “for not continuing the process for the Envato Motel” (name as transcribed) and asked that the related ordinance be removed from consideration so other opportunities can proceed.
The mayor said council members and staff will continue work on next steps and that, when they are ready to discuss a proposed project publicly, they will bring it forward, probably early in the new year. The council also announced an open public meeting on Jan. 6 to discuss affordable housing and take questions from residents.
Provenance: the mayor’s reading and rationale appear in the meeting transcript beginning at SEG 026; related public comments by Jeff Piddle and Beth O’Brien appear at SEG 111 and SEG 160 respectively.
Ending: The city has notified the court of the decision and will hold a public meeting on Jan. 6 to discuss affordable housing next steps; no new project details were released at the meeting.
