To the editor: On Friday, June 16, Judge Anthony Graziano gave Valley Ridge a partial victory. They had hoped for an outright approval from the court, and West Milford residents, represented by Skylands CLEAN’s lawyer, had hoped for an outright denial. The judge took a middle ground and sent the project back to the West Milford Planning Board for hearings relevant to their request for final site plan approval. That was done because planning office officials (not the planning board attorney) told Valley Ridge folks their preliminary approval was still legally valid, even though the planning board had denied their extensions in 2002. Valley Ridge is a proposal for 109 town houses on nine acres of a 27-acre tract on Union Valley Rd. across from Bald Eagle Village. At earlier planning board hearings, Bald Eagle residents took a strong stand against the development, even hiring a lawyer to represent them. The Valley Ridge development will need to drill a new well and get an easement from Bald Eagle Village to connect up to their water filtration plant. In fact, the MUA’s water permit will need a modification approval from the DEP to do that. The ground water supply in that area is not very good. The 1987 Malcolm Pirnie report expressed concerns about the long-term sustainable yield of well water. Also, the wells on the Stanford tract, adjacent to Bald Eagle Village, failed their constant well-pumping test. Pinecliff Lake residents don’t want this Valley Ridge development either, for four reasons. First, about 300 more people using well water, just 1.5 miles from Pinecliff, can negatively impact Pinecliff’s wells. Second, the Valley Ridge tract drains into Belchers Creek, which is the major feeder of Pinecliff Lake. Tons of silt and sediment can flow into Pinecliff Lake during the construction phase. During Bald Eagle’s construction, Pinecliff swimmers often came out of the lake looking like a pig from a mud bath. Third, after construction, storm water runoff will wash some of Valley Ridge’s lawn fertilizer into Pinecliff Lake to fertilize the water weeds and algae. Fourth, Valley Ridge’s sewage would be pumped over the ridge to the Olde Milford Sewage Treatment Plant, which has stream discharge into Belchers Creek, supplying yet more phosphates to fertilize Pinecliff’s weeds and algae. Obviously, the sediment and phosphates will continue to flow downstream, in the north branch of Belchers Creek, to fertilize the weeds in Greenwood Lake. Greenwood Lake residents should not look forward to having this proposed development either. West Milford residents are needed to fight against Valley Ridge, just as we continue to fight against Eagle Ridge. Judge Graziano gave the planning board 28 days from July 6 to complete hearings on the final approval for the Valley Ridge site plan. Residents should come to the hearings at town hall, starting at 7:30 on Thursday, July 6. During the public portions of the hearings, we should ask Valley Ridge’s experts strong questions, especially (a) about the impact of their ground water use on existing residents and (b) about the impact of storm water runoff from very steep slopes (some over 35 percent) on Belchers Creek, Pinecliff Lake, and ultimately, Greenwood Lake. West Milford residents must show up in mass, to ask any and all questions to expose the negative aspects of this super-high density development, and to let the planning board know that more high-density town houses are not good for West Milford. If Valley Ridge needs to have variances, the planning board can deny the variances, and thus the development. The development will also increase traffic on Union Valley Rd. and other streets in the center of town, and will add an estimated 109 children to our public schools. At about $13,000 per child, that means, about $1.3 million/year). West Milford residents should keep an eye on the local papers, the township Web site or call the planning office 973-728-2797 to learn when Valley Ridge hearings will occur. It is critical that we pack the hall for every hearing to send a strong message to the planning board which will be voting on this development proposal. Be there. Your presence is needed, and your questioning is important. Doris Aaronson West Milford