Immediate Action Needed By Phillipsburg Residents!
(Update July 24, 2025): On July 25, 2024, the Phillipsburg Land Use Board will be taking action regarding a "referral to the Land Use Board to direct Van Cleef Engineering to conduct Amendment to Riverfront Redevelopment Plan". This means that the Land Use Board is being directed to prepare and amendment to the Riverfront Development Plan that will indicate that rezoning the Peron Howard Street property from Riverside Residential to Industrial is consistent with the Master Plan. We believe that changing the Peron Howard Streeet property from Riverside Residential to Industrial is not consistent with the 2013 Master Plan Revision Report, and additionally this rezoning, which will open the way for a warehouse to be built on the Peron Howard Street property, will hurt the residential areas that will suffer the effects of the warehouse on this property. Come to the Land Use Board meeting and let the Land Use Board know that you do not want the property to be rezoned from Riverside Residential to Industrial.
On August 22, 2024, it expected the Consistency Report will be presented, and there will be a public hearing on this topic. However, once the process reaches the stage of a public hearing, the abiliy to present information and get it on the record is limited. Attending the Thursday, July 25, 2024 meeting and making statements and presenting your information is very important.
If you care about the future of Phillipsburg, please come to the 7:00 p.m., July 25, 2024 Phillipsburg Land Use Board meeting at the Phillipsburg Senior Center, located at 310 Firth Street.
The Consistency Plan is a report that will be prepared by a "planner". The "planner" is an individual that is paid by the town to prepare the Consistency Report for the town. The Consistency Report will provide background information and justification, from the planner's perspective, as to whether rezoning the Peron Howard Street property from Rivreside Residential to Industrial is consistent with the Master Plan. There will be discussion and input from the public.
Once all input is provided, the members of the Phillipsburg Land Use Board will take a vote to determine if changing the zoning of the Peron Howard Street property from Riverside Residential to Industrial is consistent with the Master Plan. Changing the zoning of this property to Industrial opens the way for a warehouse to be built.
We believe there is no way that it can be argued successfully that changing the zoning to Industrial is consistent with the latest Master Plan, the 2013 Master Plan Revision Report.
We need residents to turn out for the Land Use Board Meeting and let the Land Use Board members know that they do not believe it is consistent with the town Master Plan, and also present their opinion of the negative impacts making the property Industrial will present.
Our goal is to convince the Land Use Board to pass a recommendation back to the Town Council that the rezoning of Riverside Residential to Industrial is not consistent with the town's master plan.
Information for Review Below:
Consistency Plan that pertains to Ordinance 2024-14 is not yet available
2013 Master Plan Revision Report
06/26/2024 - Short Town Council Agenda06/26/2024 - District 5 Amendment Changing Riverside Residential to Industrial - Ordinance 2024 with modified Rivrside Redevelopment Plan
Click on the image to the right to download the 2013 Msster Plan Revision Report.
In the 2013 Master Plan Revision Report the town wanted to move away from industrial in the exact area that Ordinance 2024-14 is referring to. The 2013 Master Plan discusses moving the small light industrial strip of property out of the area and relocating it to make the Flats a better community. The town and Peron Construction want to do the exact opposite from the intent of the 2013 Master Plan Revision Report with Ordinance 2024-14.
Residents Feel Government Of Town Of Phillipsburg Violated Their Trust
Click on the image to the right to see the video of the Council and Mayor receiving 174 letters from the residents of Phillpsburg who do not want a warehouse built on the Peron Howard Street Property, in downtown Phillipsburg next to the Delaware River.
Updated June 20, 2024
The residents of Phillipsburg and the grassroot organizaton Phillipsburg Environmental Watch have won a significant lawsuit against the Town of Phillipsburg. The Town of Phillipsburg has withdrawn their pursuit of defending the lawsuit against Ordinance 2022-30, and as per a consent order signed June 17, 2024, by the Judge presiding over the case, the Town of Phillipsburg will vacate the latest "warehouse ordinance", Ordinance 2022-30.
However, we can't stop now. We have a second lawsuit against a previous "warehouse ordinance", Ordinance 2021-14. We also expect that the devloper may try to have the Council vote for yet another ordinance that will be contrary to the 2013 Master Plan Revision Report and make the Peron Howard Street Property Industrial. We will continue to challenge any ordinances that violate the town's Master Plan and hurts the residents of Phillipsburg.
Please email
420 letters signed by 70 Phillipsburg residents have now been delivered to Council members and the Mayor during the April 24, 2024, May 8, 2024 and June 12, 2024 Phillipsburg Town Council Meetings.
The residents wanted the members of the Phillipsburg town government to know that the rezoning of the Peron Howard Street Property to industrial and the proposed construction of a warehouse is a total violation of our trust in the government of Phillipsburg, due to the town government totally ignoring the town’s most recent 2013 Master Plan Reexamination Report. These residents clearly indicated that they do not want a warehouse in downtown Phillipsburg near the residental area of the Flats, along the Delaware River.The picture to the left shows some of the letters that signed by the residents and delivered to the members of the Phillipsburg Council and the Mayor.
There are links to two documeents that will be of interest directly below:
- 2013 Master Plan Reexaminaton Report - Link to 2013 Master Plan Reexamination Report
- Ordinance 2022-30, the ordinance that rezones the Peron Howard Street propertiy from Riverside Residential to Industrial - Link to Ordinance 2022-30
The residents are requesting that the government of the Town of Phillipsburg rescind Ordinance 2022-30, the ordinance that rezones he Peron Howard Street Property from Riverside Residential to Industrial. Additionally, the residents are requesting that the Town of Phillipsburg stop wasting taxpayer dollars funding the fight against the lawsuit that is trying to overturn Ordinance 2022-30.
Read more: Residents trust in Town of Phillipsburg government violated
Michael Perrucci wants a warehouse because he believes nobody wants to live in the Flats of Phillipsburg
Michael Perrucci is the 100% owner of Peron Construction. Peron Construction owns 32 acres of undeveloped land along the Delaware River in the Flats of Phillipsburg.
Michael Perrucci's reasoning for building a warehouse on the last 32 acres of undeveloped land along the Delaware River is that nobody wants to live there, so he believes the best thing for Phillipsburg is to build warehouse.
Michael Perrucci reasons for believing that nobody would buy a property in the Flats is that there is a gun range at one end of Howard Street and a junk yard (small) at the other end of Howard Street. The junk yard and the gun range make the Flats of Phillipsburg an undesirable place to live. So, Michael Perrucci wants to build a warehouse nearby the residental community in the Flats of Phillipsburg.
We, the residents of Phillipsburg against a warehouse in downtown Phillipsburg along the Delaware River do not believe degradating the Flats of Phillipsburg by building a warehouse near the residental area of the Flats is a good thing for Phillipsburg, nor the Town of Phillipsburg as a whole.
Phillipsburg Environmental Watch Wins Case Against November 2022 Warehouse Ordinance
In a victory for the residents of Phillipsburg and the grassroots organization Phillipsburg Environmental Watch (PEWNJ), they won their court case vacateing the November 2022. "Warehouse Ordinance", Ordinance 2022-30. Ordinance 2022-30 changed the zoning of the last 32 acres of undeveloped land in Phillipsburg along the Delaware River from Riverside Residential zoning to Industrial zoning, paving the way for a potentential warehouse to be built.
PEWNJ thanks Attorney Peter Dickson from the Law Offices of Peter Dickson. Attorney Dickson has provided strong guidance and superb legal advice during the current and previous court cases. PEWNJ attributes the successful outcome to his expert legal assistance.
We thank town residents who have been instrumental in PEWNJ’s fight against the warehouse in downtown Phillipsburg. Residents have signed letters of protest, displayed "No Warehouse Signs" and attended Council and Land Use Board meetings while wearing orange shirts and T-shirts.PEWNJ’s umbrella organization, the New Jersey Highlands Coalition, has sustained PEWNJ’s efforts with their financial support,
strategic guidance and moral support. Additionally, the Phillipsburg Riverview Organization also provided financial and strategic support to PEWNJ’s legal efforts, while Citizens For Sustainable Development and the Delaware Riverkeeper Network gave advice and support.
PEWNJ will continue pursuing their second lawsuit while encouraging Phillipsburg residents to continue letting Town Council know they do not want a warehouse in downtown Phillpsburg along the Delaware River in the Phillipsburg Flats. Residents can email PEWNJ at