Click on the image to the right to see the video for the July 25, 2024 Land Use Board Meeting:
In this meeting, multiple residents speak before the Phillipsburg Land Use Board and discuss the hame a warehouse will cause and how Industrial zoning with a waehouse will not complement the existing residential neighborhoods in the area.
A couple of folks speak for a warehouse.
Timecodes are listed in the descripton section beneith the video. If you bring up the video and click on the timecode, it will take yoou to hat section of the video.
0:00 Intro
1:30 Approval of minutes
2:15 186 Hagerty Avenue Completeness
7:10 Land Use Board approves having Timothy O'Brien prepare a Consistency Report to determine if rezoning the Peron Property from Riverside Residential to Industrial is consistent with the Master Plan
9:23 Public Comment Section of the meeting
10:20 David Morrisette discusses how changing the zoning of the Peron Howard Street property from Riverside Residential to Industrial is NOT consistent with the Master Plan
17:22 Michal Perrucci speaks... Note: I, David Morrisette, never had a conversation with Michael Perrucci about kayaking or canoeing down the Delaware River. It is true I mentioned use of the river and canoeing down the Delaware River in Public Comments at a Council meeting. This discussion NEVER happened. My only discussion with Mr. Perrucci was at a Council meeting where we agreed that Council President Harry Wyant should have recused and not abstained, and I declined to go out with him for a cup of coffee. I told him as a lawyer I would expect him to know that since i am involved in litigation with the town that involves his property it is not wise for me to have a cup of coffee with him. He also provided some brief details about past interactions with former Council President Wyant and said those interactions are why former Council President Wyant opposes his warehouse. His saying I had a conversation regarding kayaking is an untruth.
21:50 Sandra Morrisette - Warehouse do not belong in an overburdened community and discusses the many problems that will be cause by trucks, fumes, and discusses other potential uses of the land.
26:20 Pat Pestal discusses how the route for trucks to reach the highway is not a good route, 5 stop lights, go past police station, go past firehouse, no turnouts, millions of square feet of warehouse and more coming at Phillipsburg mall, lots of warehouse jobs already available
28:00 Richard Stevens discusses trucks will be going past his house, loud volume of noise from trucks will be increased if new warehouse is built, 1 of 3 New Jersey residents live within 3 miles of a warehouse
32:04 Sara Hare discusses emphasizes that the Land Use Board to be ethical and look at this will affect residents of Phillipsburg and Pohatcong, diesel air pollution, think about the cost to the community and environmental impact
35:00 Gayle Rodgers discusses truck congestion and another warehouse in downtown Phillipsburg will not help the situation
37:08 Robyn Coe-Donaldson discusses how the Peron Howard Street warehouse truck traffic is going to be a deterrent. The warehouse goes against the plans of the town to make the town a riverfront destination. You have to go down to Camden or Trenton to find industrial on the river, and don't put industrial on the river.
40:10 Joan Pierce asks why folks are not complaining about Atlantic States, Avatar, trucks running 24 by 7. Claims folks that against a warehouse do not live near where the warehouse will be built. In regards to Atlantic States, now know as McWayne Ductile, we do not believe the McWayne Ductile plant is appropriate in a residential neighborhood, however the McWayne Ductile plan is know as a "pre-existing non-conforming condition". (My response)Pre-existing non-confirming conditions are grandfathered in and there is nothing we can do about such situations. Hence, you do not hear us complain about McWayne Ductile.
41:50 Randy Piazza - Phillipsburg has a railbed... We are not Pohatcong, Greenwich... No pollusiton will come out of the warehouse and trucks, No open space because Phillipsburg won't be able to take care of it and it will have crime, drugs and homelessness
44:51 Audra Frank - Michael Perrucci was going to have her do a mural on the building to appease the folks that like to kayak. Speak to Mr. Perrucci and ask what we would like to have on the river. (my response) We would like to the property developed with something that complements the existing residential community of the Flats, and exists under the zoning of Riverside Residential, Riverside Commercial or Riverside Heritage. I agree 100 percent that Michael Perrucci's company(s) have built some amazing things, and if it is something that compliments the existing residential area we would be thrilled to see that come to pass.
46:00 Rebecca Place - discusses how the warehouse does not fit the master plan. Harm will be trucks, truck fumes, concrete will heat up the industrial site, sandwich Flats between toxic fumes from McWayne Ductile and a warehouse, prevailing winds will blow toxic truck fumes from the warehouse into the flats. Additionally, trucks ignore the currently posted signs on Center Street and there is no reason to believe that the Peron Howard Street trucks will respect the traffic restrictions. Also, trucks will make the argument that the Peron Howard Street warehouse is in Phillipsburg and therefore is a local delivery.
51:20 Finish
(Update September 8, 2024): On Wednesday, September 11, 2024, at 6 PM, the Phillpsburg Town Council will be voting on a "warehouse ordinance", which if approved, will allow for a warehouse to be built on the Peron Howard Street property in downdown Phillipsburg.
The Council meeting will be held at the Phillipsburg Senior Center, 310 Firth Street, Phillipsburg.
If you care about the future of Phillipsburg, please come to the 6:00 p.m., Septmber 11, 2024 Phillipsburg Town Council Meeting meeting at the Phillipsburg Senior Center, located at 310 Firth Street.
Call To Action:
- Attend the Phillipsburg Town Council Meeting on September 11, 2024
- Not critical, but if you have an orange tee-shrt please wear it. By just wearing an orange t-shirt and sitting at the meeting, you will be making a statement against the wareouse.
- If you wish, speak at the meeting and let the Council know you do not want a warehouse on the Peron Howard Street Property. Below, under "The potential Consequences of a Warehouse on the Peron Howard Street Property" section are issues you can speak to about to Town Council.
- There will be a resident at the meeting with a clipboard taking contact informatin of those who are against the warehouse and are willing to provide their contact information. In the event that Council passes Ordinance 2024-14, we will contact residents informing them of further action.
The Potential Consequences of a Warehouse on the Peron Howard Street Property:
- Heavy tractor trailer truck traffic (Potentially 200 trucks per day, 350 cars per day, as pointed out by Councilman Kennedy a truck trip is worth five car trips, so this means at least the equivalent of 985 vehicle trips per day to the warehouse)
- Toxic diesel fumes from the warehouse (Diesel fumes are known to cause lung problems and cause cancer. Research has shown that those who live in polluted areas suffer from lower IQs. )
- Truck noise from tractor trailers driving through the neighborhoods(s) (Problems related to consistent ruck noise include stress related illnes, high blood pressure, speech interference, hearing loss, sleep disruption, and lost productivity )
- Warehouses hurt property values due to truck noise, toxic diesel fumes and truck traffic. If a warehouse is built on the Peron Howard Street Property, expect home values to plunge in the Flats and nearby areas. Nobody wants to live next to a warehouse.
Your voice and/or presence counts. Please attend the Phillipsburg Town Council meeting to show you do not want a warehouse on the Peron Howard Street Property!
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
Read more: Residents trust in Town of Phillipsburg government violated (video included)
Ordinance 2022-30 rezones the Peron Howard Street Property from Riverside Residential to Industrial, thereby potentially paving the way for a warehouse to be built in downtown Phillipsburg along the Delaware River. Peron Constructions has already presented several warehouse configurations to the Phillipsburg Land Use Board to be constructed on the Peron Howard Street Property. Making the Peron Howard Street Property industrial zoning and building a warehouse on this property violates the Town of Phillipsburg Master Plan..
You can download Ordinance 2022-30 and the 2013 Master Plan Reexamination Report by clicking on the document titles in his sentence.
The map above is for referene related to the documentation below. The three color bounded areas in the map refer to:
- Green - The section bounded by green is currently zoned residental area in the Flats of Phillipsburg. In the 2013 Master Plan Reexamination Report, this section is also referred to as the old residential area. This consist of residential development between South Main Street and Cheery Alley/Mercer Street.
- Red - The section bounded by red is currently zoned light industrial area in the Flats of Phillipsburg. This was a residential area until 1961, at which time it was demolished and this strip was changed to light industrial. As can be seen in review below, the 2013 Master Plan Reexamination Report recommends rezoning this property to somethng that will better compliment the existing and new residential area.
- Blue - The section bounded by blue is the area know as the Peron Howard Street Property. This property was zoned residential and Ordinance 2022-30 proposes to rezone this property to Industrial for the purpose of building a warehouse. The 2013 Master Plan Reexamination Report specifically mentions this plan as being residential and being part of the plan to enhance the residential area of town by extending the current residential and recreationaly zoning from South Main Street down to Howard Street.
Read more: Rezoning Peron Howard Street Property To Industrial Violates Town Master Plan
The residents of Phillipsburg have a right to know who supports, and does not support, a warehouse on Phillipsburg's last 32 acres of undeveloped land along the Delaware River. Below is some information regarding public comments at Phillipsburg Town Council meetings and votes taken by elected and appointed Phillipsburg town officials.
The table directly below shows, as a summary level, which Phillipsburg government officials have shown support for a warehouse in downtown Phillipsburg along the Delaware River on the Peron Howard Street property.
| Total Support - voted in favor of every piece of legislation presented to move the warehouse forward | Mixed - voted in favor of some pieces of legislation to move the warehouse forward, and did not vote in favor of moving the warehouse forwared on other pieces of legislation. | Does Not Support - has consistently voted against every piece of legislation presented to move the warehouse forward | Abstain or Recusal |
|
David Brand |
Todd Tersigni |
Lee Clark |
William Duffy (recusal) Meliss Paulus (abstain) |
Read more: Who Supports A Warehouse In Downtown Phillipsburg Along The Delaware River
Click on he image to the right to see the video of Michael Perrucci, 100% owner of Peron Construction, explain that nobody wants to buy a house in the Flats (#or live in the Flats), so instead of building housing he is going to build a warehouse by the residential area of the Flats:
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.
Welcome to the No Warehouse In Downtown Phillipsburg, NJ website. The purpose of this website is to inform the citizens of Phillipsburg, NJ, and other concerned citizens about a warehouse that the Peron Construction company wants to build in downtown Phillipsburg, NJ along the last 32 acres along the river in Phillipsburg, NJ.
in the picture above, you can see a number of areas encircled with various colored lines:
- Encircled in RED: This is the area where Peron Construction wants to build a warehouse in downtown Phillipsburg next to the Delaware River.
- Encircled in GREEN: This is the area that is NJ State funded and encumbered Green Acres Open Space property. In Peron Constructions initial proposal, supported by Council members Robert Fulper, Frank McVey and Mark Lutz, Peron Constructions wanted to take this Green Acres land and use this land for part of a 500,000 plus square foot warehouse. The NJ State Green Acres division said that the town could not provide this land to Peron Construction.
- Encircled in BLUE: This area is a residential area known as the Flats of Phillipsburg. This residental area would be severly negatively impacted by the construction of a warehouse on the Peron Construction property, encircled in RED.
- ORANGE line: This line represents the route trucks will take to enter and exit the Peron warehouse. The trucks will travel through the residential area of the Flats of Phillipsburg. The trucks will also travel on South Main Street between the free bridge and McKeen Street. Additionally, there will be truck traffic from McKeen street along New Brunsick Avenue through Pohatcong.