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Residents press Lambertville for testing, timeline and alternatives as debate over hill development continues
Summary
Multiple residents urged the council to treat contamination and development on Cottage Hill as urgent public-health and land-use issues; the mayor said DEP will test 20 properties and provide a timeline and the city will organize a late-June meeting to update residents on public-water options and costs.
Lambertville residents at the May 1 city council meeting pressed elected officials for clearer information and faster action after multiple reports of contaminated private wells and years of disagreement over development on the hill.
Jeff Tiddle, a longtime resident, said parts of the town have contaminated drinking water and urged the council to treat the hill area as an “area of immediate environmental concern,” arguing that some sites should be removed from development lists. Judy Gleason and other speakers echoed frustration that citizens have written letters and do not see a coherent public-facing plan; several said they believe residents’ concerns are not fully reflected in closed-session discussions and asked how the public can better follow progress.
Denise Granty, speaking for Cottage Hill neighbors, said some properties have tested positive for contaminants (her statements referenced testing for PAS) and asked how residents are selected for testing and when results will be shared. The mayor said the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has identified 20 properties on Cottage Hill for testing and that letters to affected residents are expected soon; the city said it has been collecting well results (both positive and negative) to help DEP’s source-identification efforts.
Councilors also discussed public-water options for Cottage Hill, reviewing a 2020 cost model that estimated per-household costs depending on the number of participating homes (example given: Lincoln Avenue, 39 homes, estimated at just under $22,000 per household in 2020 if every home participated; lower participation raises the per-household cost). The transcript records the city’s consultant/utility as “Violia” (utility representative name in transcript) and the mayor said that firm will update cost estimates — likely 30–35% higher than 2020 figures — and that the city would recruit volunteers to deliver notices and organize a June meeting to gauge resident interest and update numbers.
Several residents urged more public transparency about ongoing affordable-housing litigation and case scheduling; the city attorney reported that a recent case-management conference did not set briefing dates but that the judge will schedule oral arguments on an outstanding issue. Councilors agreed to make court updates and related schedules easier to find on the city website.
No formal policy decision was made at the meeting; councilors asked staff to pursue DEP timelines, to continue collecting well test data for DEP, and to coordinate a public meeting with the utility/consultant to update costs and interest levels.
