Residents plead at hearing: Keep future development out of the land around Evesham's Black Run Preserve.

Forbid development of the privately owned forest land around the protected Black Run Preserve in Evesham, more than 50 callers urged the state Pinelands Commission on Tuesday morning in a special hearing.

"It is an amazing piece of land. It is unique," Evesham resident Leonard Morlino said at the hearing about the forest in the southern part of town. "It's not something that we can recover. You can't undo it once it's done," he said of a proposed 270-home development proposed on private property next to the Black Run Preserve.

The two-hour telephone hearing on YouTube was not directly about the proposal to develop the property, but rather a change in the designation of the area from Rural Development to Pinelands Forest Area that would sharply reduce the number of homes in the development to 38 houses, according to the Commission's June 16 public notice explaining the proposed change.

"It is clear that the Black Run watershed area demonstrates the characteristics associated with a Forest Area designation and is worthy of the enhanced protection that would be provided by such a management area designation," the commission wrote in the proposed rule change. 

And, to the person, the citizens who testified against additional development provided opinions that agreed with the Commission's appraisal.

They were concerned about clean drinking water, recharging water through the wetlands, wildlife and traffic in an area where narrow two-lane roads cannot be widened because of wetlands restrictions. 

"I am terrified of what more pressure on the environment could do, not just to our water supply but to our ecosystem, wildlife and the children of future generations," said Trisha Beling, who lives in the Little Mill Woods development and has a trailhead to the Black Run Preserve at the end of her street.

"Deny this development and preserve this green space," she urged the Commission.

Lifelong Evesham resident Lisa Berg put it more bluntly in her question for Commission members and Evesham Township officials: "Are you going to sit back and not take a proactive stance and get outsmarted by greedy BSers and then pass the buck later to blame future councils, commissions and local governments? Or are you truly going to stand and do the right thing and create a legacy for the future and sustainability of the environment?"

Amy Gonzalez, a member of the Township government's Environmental Commission, showed up at the hearing to "firmly" support the redesignation. "Advocacy is greatly needed," she said.

The telephone hearing on Tuesday was not the only opportunity to voice opinions. Citizens have until August 15 to fill out an opinion form on the Commission website or send an email to planning@pinelands.nj.gov.

Previous coverage on 70and73.com: 

Deforestation: Voorhees developer wants to build next to Black Run Preserve.

As the Commission considers the redesignation, developer Devel LLC of Voorhees in a separate proposal seeks a Certificate of Filing from the Commission, which now is in the process of reviewing Devel's application. 

If Devel secures the certificate, the next step would be to apply to Evesham Township for permission to build its proposed 270-home development. The public is permitted to testify at Township board meetings considering new developments.

Besides submitting conceptual plans for the development, Devel also provided the Commission with studies of the property's wildlife, including threatened or endangered species.

Although the Pinelands Commission does not hold public hearings for certificate applications, the public can submit comments to the commission using the methods above.

But the redesignation that was the subject of Tuesday's meeting would take Devel's 270 homes to just 38, according to the Commission.

"The likely result in terms of municipal zoning is a new Forest Area zone with a residential density of one unit per 25 acres" when today the density is one unit for every 3.2 acres, according to the redesignation public notice.

"For the few developable upland properties in the redesignated area, however, development potential will certainly be reduced, which the Commission believes is appropriate, given the environmental sensitivity of the area," according to the June 16 public notice.

The notice also states: "The Commission’s primary goal is to decrease disturbance in, and increase protection of, the Black Run watershed, something that can most readily be accomplished through the management area redesignation. ...Evesham Township retains the ability to modify its zoning plan in ways that further encourage cluster development in the area."

Citing many different reasons, those who testified at the Tuesday hearing pleaded with the Commission to keep the area around the Black Run Preserve safe from over-development. 

"The Black Run Preserve happens to be my most cherished place on earth," Tina Cooper, who lives five minutes from the Preserve, told the Commission. She estimated she hikes the Preserve for five to 25 miles each week, or about 780 miles a year and an estimated 6,240 miles since she started eight years ago.

"My need for this special place runs especially deep," she said. "It has given me a sense of purpose."

Berg, who lives near Black Run, said development in the area already has stressed the wildlife, such as turtles who need to scout a wider area for their nests and are crossing roads and being run over.

The number of deer invading her yard has increased, with 10 to 15 at a time eating shrubs and plants "that they haven't touched in over 17 years of living there." She said fox and deer jump her fence to eat her grass and drink water from her swimming pool.

Mary Peyerl, who has lived on nearby Raymond Avenue for 47 years, explained that she and her husband preserved the natural environment on their land, including ponds. 

"Over the years I've watched development constantly around this area," she said. "We're finding more and more pollution coming into our ponds, which is definitely affecting the ecosystem of the area."

Road runoff has become a big issue, she said, as well as the pesticides her neighbors use on their lawns.

The drought of the past few years has severely taxed water levels in the Black Run area, said Evesham resident Tracey Doron.

Some wells of Evesham residents were hit hard and ran completely dry, she said. She said her well had extremely low water levels despite being 150-feet deep and providing water to only one person.

"Clean and accessible drinking water belongs to all, whether you are two legged or four legged," she said.