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Residents accuse council of mixed messages on warehouses as redevelopment items move forward
Summary
A lengthy public-comment session at Lopatcong’s July 1 meeting sharpened community distrust about warehouse redevelopment behind the mall and on prime farmland. A resident alleged council members gave conflicting information to the Highlands Council and to the public; officials responded but did not resolve the dispute at the meeting.
A heated public-comment exchange at the Lopatcong Township Council meeting on July 1 focused on warehouse redevelopment plans behind the mall and on adjacent farmland, with multiple residents accusing the council of inconsistent messaging and lack of transparency.
John Ketcherson (introduced in public comment as a long-term resident) told the council he has attended meetings for years and accused officials of providing contradictory information about whether warehouses were being pursued. He said the Highlands Council hearing included statements by the township’s attorney and other representatives that, he alleged, supported warehouse development. Ketcherson asked whether the council would follow up on the redevelopment plan and why residents were told different things at different times.
Mayor Wright and other council members pushed back in part, saying legal and administrative processes limit what officials can disclose during public comment and that some decisions are governed by judicial or Highlands Council actions. At one point the mayor said Lopatcong must balance competing priorities and described the township as a regional crossroads for freight traffic; he defended council actions as efforts to attract revenue while acknowledging trade-offs.
Other residents raised adjacent issues: Mary Altoji (Overlook) urged clearer, more direct responses when residents raise concerns; Bob Bruce asked the municipal engineer and building department to investigate the possible placement of a fence that he said encroaches on public right-of-way and requested confirmation of permits and stop-work authority.
Council members and staff said they would look into right-of-way and permitting questions and confirmed that the redevelopment plan item had been introduced for first reading earlier in the meeting; they encouraged residents to use posted public-notice channels and to follow planning-board hearings for fuller opportunities to comment.
Next steps: the redevelopment plan introduced at first reading (Ordinance 26-09) will proceed through standard planning and notice requirements; staff said they will check permitting for fence encroachment and report back.
