Save Back Creek Farm from Becoming an Industrial Complex!
100 acres of Hamilton's PROTECTED green space could be developed into warehouses! How is this possible?
What is Back Creek Farm?
Back Creek Farm is a precious 96-acre parcel of farm and forest nestled near the heart of Hamilton’s Crosswicks neighborhood. One of the town’s few remaining giant tracts of greenery, it provides an important buffer for flooding as well as a natural habitat for migratory birds and wildlife.
In 2009, it was protected as part of Hamilton’s Rural Resource Conservation (RRC) Zone.
What is Hamilton’s RRC Zone?
In 2009, recognizing the threat of losing our open spaces to sprawling development, Hamilton Township established an area of farm and forest named the Rural Resource Conservation (RRC) Zone. This designation protected the land from industrial development by placing strict conservation limits ensuring it would remain forested or rural in character.
According to the township:
“The combination of highly productive farmland and sensitive natural resource land of the RRC District make this a unique portion of the Township. The RRC District's zone standards are designed to maximize the retention of farmland and other natural resource lands and maintain the ecological integrity of the area… The RRC District responds to the Township's long-standing planning objectives to conserve rural character, retain farmland for agricultural use, and protect surface waters, woodlands and environmentally sensitive lands.”
What would replacing Back Creek Farm with Industrial Warehouses do to our community?
An industrial complex could expose quiet, picturesque residential neighborhoods to the dangers of commercial through traffic, affecting quality of life, health and safety.
Local residents would ultimately pay for developer profits through decreased property values, while the value of the developer's land increases. As taxpayers we would then be permanently asked to shoulder the burden of infrastructure costs to facilitate the degradation of our neighborhood. Our community’s loss would finance private gain.
Recently, developers proposed paving over Back Creek Farm to make way for an industrial warehouse zone, and the planning board responded by voting to rezone the land for commercial use, effectively stripping away its protections.
In the planning committee’s own words:
“As demand for warehouse and logistics space has increased… considerable pressure has been placed on the region to identify locations where facilities can be constructed”
No one has publicly disclosed the nature of this pressure nor its impact on their decision.
But the battle isn't lost! The full town council has yet to cast their votes. We believe that the interests of Hamilton’s residents should prevail over those of warehouse developers.
Reversing protections for land is largely seen as a political taboo. If protections can be so easily revoked, they risk becoming meaningless. The loss of Back Creek Farms could set a precedent that land protection in Hamilton is temporary and pavement is forever.
If Back Creek Farm is protected, how can it be turned into an Industrial Zone?
The Town Council will soon have the chance to rectify the planning board's poor judgment.
Calling all Hamilton voters...
Let's show to the council what real pressure feels like.
DEFEND HAMILTON LIKE YOU LIVE HERE!
Write your Councilors: Protect Hamilton from devastating flooding, dangerous truck traffic, diesel pollution and the destruction of natural habitat. PRESERVE THE RRC!
WANT A YARD SIGN?
If so, what's your address and we'll deliver one. We have a red StopTheTrucks sign and a yellow RRC zone sign.
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