ATV noise annoys Pittsgrove residents
Thursday, January 25, 2007
By CHRISTOPHER WEIR
Staff Writer
PITTSGROVE TWP. Residents voiced their concerns at Tuesday's committee meeting about people illegally operating all terrain vehicles (ATVs) in a local pit as committee members discussed the possibility of relocating the recycling center to that location in a few years.
The pit is located on 47 acres of township owned property off the corner of Alvine and Porchtown roads. Homeowners in the area say the excessive noise and dust created by ATVs and motorcycles in the pit is causing disturbances to residents.
Mayor Peter Voros said it is illegal for anyone to operate vehicles on the property and encouraged residents to contact the township's road department during business hours or to call the police if they see people riding there.
Resident Christine Seeney, of Alvine Road, said she often has to chase riders out of the pit and that the excessive noise makes it difficult to hear the television in her home.
Seeney also said she's concerned about the possibility of the township moving the recycling center to somewhere on that 47 acres of property because it could cause further disturbances to residents and further pollute the already contaminated property.
Voros said the township will be relocating the recycling center in the future and that area is one of two in the township capable of housing the center. The other is a gravel pit located near Green Branch Park.
"Our goal is to keep it in the center of town," Voros said.
The current recycling center located off of Porchtown Road is too small, Voros said, and with more residents expected to move into the township, the problem will get worse.
The township purchased the 47-acre property about 18 months ago after receiving a grant to clean up the contaminated land.
The ground is contaminated with oils and pesticides but none of the water that rests very close to the surface of the land has been contaminated, according to the committee.
The resident who previously owned the property was operating it as a landfill for Elmer residents for about 10 years. The resident passed away before covering up the area where the garbage was dumped, which contributed to the contamination at the site, according to Voros.
A lot of work has already been done to clean site including taking down three dilapidated homes on the property. The township is currently working on cleaning up the contaminants in the ground, Voros said.
If the township decides to place the recycling center on that property, the committee said they would work to place in an area where it would not be visible from the roadway.
The move to a new location is at least four to five years away, Voros said, and is not a priority for the township at this moment.
Voros said whatever decision the township decides to pursue will first have to go through the full planning board process and will be advertised to make residents aware.
"We'll let you guys know what our options are and you'll be a part of the process," Voros said. "We're not going to do anything behind closed doors."
"The move is going to have to be done and wherever we put it, some residents aren't going to be happy," Voros said. "We're going to have to make a decision that is best for the township."
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