San,

Pat and I enjoyed our discussion at the Sept 16 Open Space press conference. 

Middletown for Clean Energy and Sierra Club are supporting appropriate additions to Middletown’s Master Plan.

You mentioned your training and current work to meet the 3/2021 NJ DEP management requirements for storm water. 

 

We ask for the new storm water management ordinance to be referenced in the Master Plan.  The adopted ordinance should be the

Enhanced Stormwater Rules template  that comes from the Watershed Institute. Here’s the link:
https://thewatershed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/TWI-Enhanced-Ordinance-highlights-final.pdf

This enhancement is endorsed by NJ Sierra Club, Whale Pond Brook Watershed Association, Urban Coast Institute, and Clean Ocean Action.

We recommend this enhancement to ensure Middletown is doing everything it can to protect and improve water quality, while mitigating flooding.

My personal perspective: If only this enhancement had been on the books DECADES AGO!  My wife and I own one of 1000+ houses, built 35-40 years ago in the hilly Oak Hill section of Middletown.  With climate change, rainfalls have become increasingly heavy.  Street runoff is dramatically eroding the creek banks behind our houses. Some homeowners have long demanded Ted Maloney magically correct long-ago storm water management deficiencies that are now threatening  houses, undermining roads, and requiring $Millions to retrofit and fortify under-road culverts/bridges/creek banks.

 

I helped Sierra Club design a NJ Stormwater campaign that sent personal letters to elected leaders of each NJ city.

I hope you don’t mind that I used this campaign to sign a letter to Mayor Perry and Committee, to provide Sierra Club endorsement of this Enhanced Storm Water Ordinance. (Attached is a copy of the letter.)  I trust Middletown elected leaders will support you and the Planning Board to implement the very best stormwater management future for Middletown

 

I share your enthusiasm for bicycling, and would love to see an increasing network of bicycle (and pedestrian) friendly roadways in Middletown.  My fondest ride is Middletown-Lincroft Rd to Brookdale CC and Thompson Park (and the adjacent Holmdel parks)- but there remain scary road sections.  I have also enjoyed many Middletown bike trips on the Henry Hudson Trail (extending to Freehold  - sort of), and also several trips on  the Hudson trail to the tip of Sandy Hook.

 

Near South Brunswick, I  biked the Delaware Canal – extending onto the Delaware River trail.

 

My fondest bicycle vacations have been  PA “Sojourns” with unforgettable adventures – these were  multi-day trips, such as 2016, 2017 and 2018 to enjoy the scenery and history of PA.   Some trips were with a friend, other trips were with the other 300 riders as friends.   See https://www.railstotrails.org/experience-trails/sojourns/  We heard interesting talks; toured historic sites, and camped nightly.   One initial night was inside the Battleship New Jersey Museum & Memorial, and then next morning across the Ben Franklin Bridge through Philly.   We bicycled to museums galore.  We camped (thankfully only once) inside a gym (the local school superintendent opened the gym for us because of intense rain).  We had supply trucks ( catered 3 meals/day and carrying camp gear), and toured with a 20-stall shower truck for daily showers.  Part of one trip was one-way steam train  ending in Steamtown National Historic SIte, in downtown Scranton (bicycles transported by truck).  I highly recommend on-going Rails-to-Trails adventures.

 

Thanks for the opportunity to influence the best for Middletown’s future.

 

Steve Miller

Climate Chair, Sierra Club NJ Shore Group

Co-Founder, Middletown for Clean Energy

732-977-4370 (cell/text)

151 Borden Road, Middletown