Area in need of Rehabilitation

Active Acquisitions, the developer of OYCC, provided funding in escrow for the township to conduct "area of rehabilitation" study of OYCC.   

CME's report stated the property can be designated as an "area of rehabilitation" under two criteria:

Criteria 1: A significant portion of structures therein are in a deteriorated or substandard condition

"Of the seven building on the property, five of them are in a deteriorated or substandard condition.  All three of the barn structures are in poor condition and in need of significant repairs or perhaps even replacement.  The clubhouse building is also in poor condition, with drainage problems on the roof, deteriorated roofing material, and water damage in the kitchen from the roof problems.  The storage building having no utility connections, a missing soffit, and rotted and deteriorated wood also is in poor condition.  The country club building is in good condition, as is the historic home on the property."

Criteria 5: Environmental contamination is discouraging improvements and investment in properties in the area.

"With the failure of the wastewater treatment and disposal system, there is environment contamination on the property that is discouraging investment.  The damages to the system have resulted in fecal coliform bacteria contaminating the water, and requires repairs. 

As a result of the environmental issues related to the failures of the wastewater treatment system and the violations of the permitting, the property can be designated under this criteria."

"The property is located within the AG Agricultural district of the township.  The AG district is intended to reflect and preserve the agricultural history of Chesterfield, and permits primarily only farming and agricultural activities, and single family homes on large lots of at last 10 acres in size." 

"The Township's Master Plan, last reexamined and amended in 2017, does not make specific reference to this property.  In general, the master plan recognized the importance of the agriculture industry, and recommends that the protections on agriculture remain a priority in the AG district. "

"The board felt that the significant and most reliable criterion impeding rehabilitation was the condition of the waste treatment systems, the impact of their failure on groundwater, and the now prohibitive costs of repair that would be difficult to meet. The board was satisfied that if criterion 5 were the only criterion, it would support the rehabilitation determination. " - 5/19/2020 Planning Board Minutes

CME's report states that criteria 5 was met due to failures in the wastewater treatment system AND violations of permitting.  

There hadn't been a DEP violation reported since May 2015, but in March 2020, days after the township committee ordered the planning board to conduct an area of rehabilitation study, a new DEP violation was reported:  Monitoring wells in low lying area being influenced by surface water.  Failure to achieve ground water quality standards for fecal coliform at multiple monitoring wells.

In June 2020, days after the township committee deems OYCC as an "area of rehabilitation",  DEP shows OYCC now in compliance.