To the editor: On June 16 Judge Graziano gave a partial victory to Valley Ridge’s 109 townhouses to be located across from Bald Eagle Village. They were sent back to the West Milford Planning Board for a final approval decision, starting on Thursday, July 6 at 7:30 p.m. in town hall. West Milford residents must pack the hall to let the board know that they don’t want Valley Ridge. More townhouses would be bad for at least the following reasons. (1) It would take scarce ground water away from Bald Eagle Village, Crescent Park, and Pinecliff Lake communities. (2) Its storm water runoff would pollute Belchers Creek, Pinecliff and Greenwood Lakes, with lawn fertilizers and winter road grits. (3) Its sewage would go to the Olde Milford MUA plant to dump more phosphates to fertilize water weeds and algae in Belchers Creek, Pinecliff and Greenwood Lakes. (4) Construction soil-disturbance would turn Belchers Creek, Pinecliff and Greenwood Lakes into big mud-baths for swimmers. (5) Valley Ridge would add about 109 children to West Milford schools at $13,000 per child each year, plus the possible need for another school at over $30 million, thus increasing our property taxes. (6) Valley Ridge would add about 200 cars to Union Valley Rd., increasing accidents and air pollution. Residents must tell the planning board, by their very presence on July 6, that they don’t want Valley Ridge. Those who want to speak can expand on some of the points above, based on their own experiences. As one example, a resident of Apple Acres, an adjacent tract, should speak about her well going dry, and her need to drill another deep well because of the scarce water supply in the area. Pinecliff residents can say that past Olde Milford Sewage has fertilized weeds and algae in their lake, interfering with swimming, damaging boat motors, and increasing herbicide costs, and they don’t want yet more problems from Valley Ridge’s sewage. More storm-water runoff, and more polluted runoff, from Valley Ridge may end up on Crescent Park residents’ lawns, and they don’t want that either. Additional talking points include NJ Highlands Act issues. A huge point is that the act requires one major DEP permit to be granted to qualify for an exemption. Valley Ridge specified their water permit for that purpose. But, what evidence does the planning board have for that? Papers filed in the West Milford Planning Office indicate that Valley Ridge has only one well, and that they need to drill a second one. Also they need Bald Eagle Village to grant a land easement to have water pipes using the Bald Eagle water filtration plant. Bald Eagle residents can deny that easement, or refuse to share the water filtration plant as it could negatively impact on their own water. Hopefully, Bald Eagle residents will ask their lawyer to come on July 6 to help out on those issues. Further, Valley Ridge must ask the DEP to amend the West Milford MUA’s water allocation plan, in order to get their well permit. Where is the evidence for that? Was there “funny business” about that water permit in town hall? Was there a big error at the DEP in granting a Highlands Exemption on a non-existent water permit? Residents should ask the board not to approve Valley Ridge until they can show evidence for each of these factors needed for a water permit. To develop, a permit is needed to send Valley Ridge sewage into the Olde Milford plant. The condemnation of property is needed to get Valley Ridge pipes over the ridge has that been done? Does the MUA’s sewage permit have to be amended to add Valley Ridge’s sewage? What documentation does the planning board have about all evidence needed for a sewage permit? Tell the board that they should not approve Valley Ridge until they see such documentation. Yet another issue is that DEP cancelled all five of Valley Ridge’s wetlands permits in March, but said they can reapply. How can Valley Ridge do any construction with Belchers Creek wetlands running across the Union Valley side of the tract preventing access to their site? Several threatened or endangered species now documented in their wetlands may mean that Valley Ridge needs bigger wetlands buffers. Residents should tell the planning board that they should not approve this project until Valley Ridge has reapplied for, and gotten, their wetlands permits. It is usually the case that if a development needs variances from West Milford land-use laws, that the planning board can deny their approval by not granting the variances. We should ask the board about these variances. Also, as Valley Ridge would be on a county road, we should ask about county approval - West Milford approval should not be granted until the county approves. Residents must pack town hall on July 6 to let the planning board know that we don’t want this development, just as we did in relation to Eagle Ridge. Both high-density townhouse developments would be bad for West Milford. Be there to help stop Valley Ridge. Doris Aaronson West Milford