Click on image to the right to view the pdf of the Consistency Review Letter written by Tim O'Brien providing his recommendation  to the Phillipsburg Land Use Board that the 65 foot height of the Peron Howard Street warehouse is consistent with the Master Plan and Riverfront Redevelopment Plan

This Consistence Review Letter Report was authorized by the Phillisburg Town on August 16, 2022, with Resolution 2022-191, following a presentation that Peron Construction provided the Council regarding a 360,000 square foot cold storage warehouse with a connection to the railway system.

The Land Use Board authorized the report based on Resolution 2022-191 on August 25, 2022.  August 25, 2022 was also the date that Peron Construction received Final Site Plan Approval for a 420,000 square foot warehouse on the Peron Howard Street property. 

This Consistency Review Letter Report add the ablity of the Peron Construction Warehouse the ability to:

• Have a building height of 65 feet instead of 50 feet
• Have a rail line that connects to the current rail system

Note that this plan refers back to the Consistency Report that was prepareed February 25, 2021 which specified a 510,000 square foot warehouse.  It is confusing as to why this Consistency Review Letter refers back to the Consistency Review report from February 25, 2021.  The February 25, 2021 Consistency Review was done for Ordinance 2021-14, and refers to a 510,000 square foot warehouse and the plan involves taking the Green Acres encumbered Delaware River Park, which is Green Acres encumbered propery. 

It is curious that this Consistency Review did not refer to the last Consistency Report dated review report that was prepared on December 20, 2021, for the "failed" ordinance, Ordinance 2021-27.  Ordinance 2021-27 was a second attempt to pass an ordinance an ordinance to change the Peron Howard Street property from Riverside Residential to Heavy Industrial.  Ordinance 2021-27 was a second attempt to pass an ordinance to correct alleged conflicst of interest, as per Town Attorney Wenner, on the vote for the prior ordinance, Ordianance 2021-14.  Ordinance 2021-27 was vetoed by Mayor Tersigni and Council did not have the votes to override the Mayor's veto, and this failed.  The failure of Ordinance 2021-27 meant that Ordinance 2021-14 remained the ordinance in place.

A major difference between the Consistency Review Report done on February 25, 2021 and December 20, 2021 has to do with the Green Acres land know as Delaware River Park.  The town was going to sell Delaware River Park to the developer, but since New Jersey State Green Acres funds were used to purchase the park, the State of NJ had the right to say the Town of Phillipsburg could not sell the open space park land to the developer for a warehouse. 

The February 25, 2021 Consistence Report referred to in the Consistency Report Review Letter indicates that the Delaware River Park land is still part of the deal for the warehouse.  Since the State of NJ has refused to let Delaware River Park land to be taken by Peron Corporation, why did the Town of Phillipsburg not use the December 20, 2021 Consistency Review Report which specifically states:

"Given the Open Space designation on Lot 1, an amended Redevelopment Plan should indicate that development on this lot is not an option at this time. These conditions are shown on Map 3, Map 4, and Map 5."