KIP 20 Incomplete Application Deemed Complete Due to Acceptance of Expired 2007 LOI by Board

Last night, at the Holmdel Zoning Board meeting, a last minute agenda item pushed by KIP 20 LLC was accepted. This was to grant a completeness waiver to their incomplete application due to the fact that they had provided a 2007 LOI (Letter of Identification) instead of the new 2022 LOI from the NJ DEP that the Board actually requires. This LOI was obtained from a prior request to develop three houses on the five acre property, which the Board denied. Such LOI expire five years after issuance, so it expired ten years ago in 2012 and its inclusion does not make the application complete. Nevertheless, the Board apparently felt that it was in its remit to "help out applicants" and relieve them from the burden of following the planning process as it is actually defined.

NJ DEP Official 2012 Wetlands Map

The year 2012 is important because, although the Mayan Apocalypse did not happen, the NJ DEP actually revised all of its wetlands maps in that year. In fact, if you use the NJ DEP's online mapping software you can lay those 2012 wetlands maps on top of the block lines and road features. That is what I've done in the map attached to this post. Guess what? It shows wetlands on 125 Red Hill Rd. Do you think they are sensitive? We do, because they contribute to the Swimming River Reservoir and feed the water that we all drink. That would make them "Category 1."

I don't think it's good practice to accept out-of-date data to permit applicants to proceed with incomplete submissions. Do you?