In response to your notice of the public hearing in regard to the site plan for the Machaneh Trust, Phase 2, my husband, Lawrence Bartholf, and I, Linda Bartholf, have concerns which we hope will be addressed by the planning board. We own the property on the south side of Weiner Road which lies on the east side of the Trust property. That same piece of our land abuts their land immediately north of their proposed bunkhouses which will house over 500 boys according to their plans. We also the property on the north side of Weiner Road which surrounds the 2-acre parcel within which a large building has been constructed. Both of our properties are productive hay fields. The hay is harvested, as it has been for over 50 years. We are especially concerned that the property on which the bunkhouses are located be fenced to prevent anyone from walking over the hay field. As you may or may not know, if hay is trampled before harvest time, it is usually impossible to cut and bale.

Secondly, in order to build the bunkhouses in that location, a beautiful stand of over 100-year-old evergreens will have to be cut down, leaving an eyesore row of buildings to look at. Therefore, in addition to the fence around the bunkhouse property we would like evergreen trees planted inside the fence line, tall enough to camouflage the bunkhouses.

Another issue we have concerns about is the lighting for the property. We value the beauty of the night sky with its array of stars. Manufactured lighting will make that impossible to see. Right now at their current site, the Trust leaves the flood lights on all night, all year long, even the 10 months of the year when no one is there. What we do on our property to provide safety and light is to use motion-sensor lighting that preserves the beauty of the night sky but turns on the minute someone drives or walks into view. Incidentally, wild life, especially is disrupted by the continuous lighting at night. It’s also economical to not keep the lights on all night.

Lastly, we are concerned about where the trust will get enough water for over 700 people and how that might disturb the aquafer from which we and other neighbors get our water.

We have always tried to be cooperative to all our neighbors. In regard to the Trust, over the years, my husband has offered to keep an eye on their property and inform Rabbi Kramer if we see a problem. Our great concern and one which we think you should also weigh, is to preserve the natural beauty and ambiance of our area. It is what draws people to our area, to our township. It benefits each and every one of us. We hope you will consider these issues and provide direction to maintain these valuable attributes of our town.

Linda and Lawrence Bartholf

Wawarsing