New Construction Should Not Be Built on Wetlands in West Windsor
To the Editor:
Water drainage in West Windsor has become a major problem. On August 6, 2024, the flooding in West Windsor was so severe it was covered by CBS News. A developer is planning to fill valuable wetlands to construct large single-family homes on Block 16, Lot 24, which is a 22-acre parcel of land adjacent to the West Windsor Little League Fields, between Penn Lyle and North Post Roads. We live next to this property on the same block, and we experienced heavy and dangerous flooding on August 6. You can view a 13-second video of what we experienced at tinyurl.com/wwflood. Our car was totaled, and we are grateful to be alive.
In an area with such severe storm drainage issues, should a developer be allowed to fill in the wetlands adjacent to our homes? Why would we choose to exacerbate this water drainage problem? If the wetlands are filled, where will that stormwater drain to? Who benefits from destroying our homes and reducing our town’s property values? The letter from the developer’s engineer says the plan is to fill in the wetlands to build a single-family home. In actuality, their construction plans show six large, single-family homes and a road that would increase impervious surfaces and runoff. Can the township or the developer guarantee no negative impact to the surrounding neighborhoods?
Rainfall studies conducted by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) in 2021 confirm an increase in storm intensity, duration, and rainfall amounts. A 2021 NJ.com article indicates that 2018 was the wettest year on record for New Jersey, with record rainfall 10 out of the 12 months.
In addition, this property is part of the Duck Pond Run Watershed, which feeds into the Delaware and Raritan Canal and is a source of drinking water for a million New Jersey residents. These wetlands act as a natural sponge, facilitating drainage, preventing flooding, and maintaining water quality. By filling the wetlands, we cover more of West Windsor’s precious open space with impervious material that prevents water from percolating into the ground.
This alters flooding patterns and increases pollutant loads to streams. Wetlands construction makes systematic stormwater control extremely difficult and also fragments forests and other habitats, leading to a decline in ecological health and water quality.
Please do not build on these wetlands. We are already experiencing flooding and water management issues, and this new construction will exacerbate them. We ask the NJDEP and our town leadership to please protect our wetlands and remedy, not worsen, our water drainage issues. We ask that the NJDEP protect our existing wetlands and that NJDEP not approve this construction project.