If council gives okay, developer moves to state DEP for approvals West Milford The council may decide at its July 20 meeting whether to give permission to Jack Lefkowitz, owner of the property known as Village on Ridge, to go to the state Department of Environmental Protection for its approval to move forward in creating a private water system. Lefkowitz began his proposed 60-home development after getting Planning Board approval in 2005. He built 10 of the homes, then halted construction. In February 2010, he went to the planning board for an extension but was denied it pending water permits. He also did not have an exemption from the Highlands Act, which severely limited residential development throughout the township and other watershed towns. Lefkowitz got the exemption restored by the DEP later in 2010 and also got the okay from the planning board to move forward with a split decision. He and his engineer, Kevin Boswell, have come before the council on a few occasions to describe his plan to build a water system for the development. The council must give its initial approval to the plan in order for Lefkowitz to go further with the DEP, a necessary step according to stipulations made by the planning board. He must have all required permits from the DEP by the end of this year. Starting the process Township Administrator Kevin Boyle said he along with Matt Muhaw, the township’s hydrogeologist, were meeting this week with Boswell to look at the numbers. “If Boswell gives us everything we need, Fred (Semrau, the township’s attorney) will look at it, write up an ordinance and they can start the EPA process for public/private water systems,” said Boyle. Councilman Mike Ramaglia said the council has asked Boswell to provide a plan from beginning to end and called it a security blanket for the township. Boyle said what the council needs to see is that a private water system can sustain itself. He said there is a “significant water supply” at the site, which is near the intersection of Ridge Road and Vreeland. The township is waiting to get the numbers to make sure the system would generate enough revenue so that when improvements to it are needed years down the road, they can be made without hardship to the users or the township. After those numbers are received, the council will decide whether to give the okay to Lefkowitz to move on to the DEP. If he comes out of the DEP process with approvals, the township would have to approve an operator’s agreement with the private company before it gets started. Existing homes have water issues There are already 10 homes built at the site, some of which have water pressure issues. There is an ordinance proposed that would have those 10 existing homeowners connect as a group into any future water system. However, Mayor Bettina Bieri asked that the ordinance be revised so that any of the homeowners could connect without approval from the entire group. “If one person says no, it ruins the opportunity for all,” she said. Right now, the ordinance gives the developer the opportunity to not provide water service if all of the 10 homeowners don’t agree. Bieri said she wants the revision so that it doesn’t have to be unanimous among the homeowners. The existing homeowners are tied into the Municipal Utilities Authority (MUA) Olde Milford water system and complain of inadequate water pressure. Boyle said the homeowners would be able to hook into the new system, if approved, at no initial cost, and be charged the same as the MUA currently charges.