Dear CILU Membership and Supporters,

Holmdel Township’s recently released “Vonage Headquarters Redevelopment Plan” could have a profound impact on the future of our community. The plan depicts 299 units, including 104 condos in the existing building, 40 rental units in a new multi-story building, 90 beds in an additional new building, and 65 new town homes. Please see the attached images and the entire redevelopment plan here.

The proposed high-density development is not consistent with the charming, bucolic character of our town, the Planning Area 5 environmental zoning, or the low-density housing precedent implemented in southern Holmdel decades ago to preserve our watershed. The aging wastewater treatment plant on the property was built in 1977, has a history of violations, and was designed to handle effluence during office hours, not 24-7 domestic and medical wastewater. One of the permits for the plant allows discharge to the Willowbrook, a fragile Category 1 Stream that feeds into the Swimming River Reservoir and directly impacts the drinking water of Monmouth County residents.

The redevelopment process is intended to be an opportunity for the public to envision the potential of an underused site and how it could become an asset to their community, not a quick path for developer profits.

The CILU board urges residents to attend the next Township Committee meeting on Tuesday, December 10 at 7:30pm at Town Hall to ask questions about the impact of high-density development on our drinking water and the quality of life in southern Holmdel. This is a pivotal moment to make your voice heard before the plan progresses further.

Sincerely, To see this letter as a pdf file, click here.

The CILU Board