Patrick Farm plan threatens our water

November 7, 2010

For a quarter century, I have had the great fortune to live in a 200-year-old farmhouse in the foothills of the Ramapo Mountains. From the moment I drew my first breath of crisp autumn air, I knew I was home. In the course of my work over the last 15 years, I have flown over and photographed the marvelous, diverse and beautiful-beyond-words part of Ramapo called Ladentown.

Through the four seasons, the historic Patrick Farm has always been the shining star of the scene. The distinctive pond at the center with a small island marks this environmentally sensitive area as I fly over it at 2,500 feet. From the vantage point of a small plane, it is easy to see how the water flows from above the Patrick Farm, through it, and down below into the massive headwaters of the Mahwah River along Route 202.

What the Town of Ramapo under Supervisor Christopher St. Lawrence has done (and continues to do) here is fundamentally wrong. The town has gone to extraordinary lengths to accommodate the developer by downzoning this property twice without regard for the residents’ wishes, and with no concern for the environment or infrastructure.

This drastic change was done for no public benefit whatsoever. In fact, this plan would build essentially a city of 8,000-10,000 people on top of a sole-source aquifer and adjacent to the pristine waters of a major river, sources that supply millions of people with drinking water.

The town has accepted a deeply flawed, incomplete and unresponsive environmental review. To risk poisoning or damaging the water supply of 3 million people simply cannot be permitted.

Lee Ross
Ramapo