We will keep protecting Hamburg Mountain and Mountain Creek

To the editor:
We have worked with the public for decades to stop inappropriate development on Hamburg Mountain, and now they are at it again. These mountains are environmentally sensitive that were preserved as open space.
This property is held in the public trust, not the developers to build a new wedding venue. It is leased by the Mountain Creek resort, but these mountains are owned by the state and belong to all of us to enjoy. We are very concerned with this proposal because it will more than double the size of this resort and build on top of our sensitive mountains.
For years we have fought hard to preserve and protect this area because what happens there is critical to the environment. We battled against the inappropriate expansion of the resort, and now that plan is back again. They even have proposed an additional sewer line up Hamburg Mountain, which will make it more cost effective to build roads up our scenic Mountains. We won against the developers in court three times to protect these mountains, and we aren’t afraid to go back to court for the fourth time.
These mountains are important because their forested canopies protect wildlife species and our clean drinking water. Vernon is part of the Highlands region, which is one of the most environmentally sensitive areas in our state. It is also part of the newly designated Western Highlands Scenic Byway because of the town’s scenic viewshed of farms and open spaces. By building new attractions on top of these mountains, it will not only cause more non-point source pollution and runoff, but impact our clean drinking water and increase flooding.
This new development proposal will clear-cut part of this forested mountain and open the entire area to more development. The 350-seat restaurant they want to build will allow weddings on the mountaintop. Then they want to build a new ski area on top of Hamburg Mountain. The next thing we know these plans will turn into plans to build another hotel and more condos. This will cause more sprawl on our most scenic mountains.
We want to keep our viewshed of the mountains intact, not see development and McMansions. We need to speak out against the expansion of the Mountain Creek resort to protect our environment, clean drinking water and open space.
Now that the town of Vernon’s Environmental Commission has been eliminated, we are concerned that there is no one looking at the environmental impacts of this proposal. The Vernon Environmental Commission was important because they advised the Planning Board, Town Council and worked with the community on environmental issues. By removing the commission, now there is not a separate local government entity in the town working on preserving natural resources.
With this decision, now Vernon may be subject to more inappropriate development, which is why we need to come out and oppose this proposal. We must keep watching to protect the Vernon Valley and stop them from building on these mountains that belong to all of us.
Jeff Tittle
Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club