Save Old Tappan's History and Wetlands

Save Old Tappan HistoryWetlands is organizing this fundraiser.

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Save Old Tappan's History and Wetlands: Preserve 244 Old Tappan Road.

The planning board has approved the development plans to build a commercial building on 244 Old Tappan Road, relocating the 270+ year old Gerrit Haring house, demolishing 400+ trees (including at least 12 trees that are over 150 years old), displacing hundreds of wildlife, and potentially risk losing one of the few remaining Dutch Colonial sandstone houses in America. Join the movement to SAVE Old Tappan's history and PROTECT Old Tappan's wetlands from being disturbed. Make a donation today to offset costs for attorney fees to represent the opposition at the appeal hearing on May 8, 2023 at 6:30pm.

EVERY DOLLAR DONATED UP TO $10,000 WILL BE MATCHED BY A PRIVATE DONOR.

The 5.5 acre wooded property on 244 Old Tappan Road in Old Tappan, NJ has over an acre of wetlands and the pre-Revolutionary War Gerrit Haring house. In accordance with our most recent Master Plan, this property must be preserved for open space.

The NJDEP-designated wetlands on property includes a vernal pool and is home to many species of wildlife including snapping and box turtles, dragonflies, deer, foxes, frogs, snakes, bald eagles, wild turkeys, herons, and other birds. Where will these wildlife go when their habitats are destroyed?

The property is currently zoned residential. The owner is selling to a developer, Capital Senior Housing, which has submitted plans to the Planning Board to build a commercial building that is out of scale for this property and move a 270+ year old historic house and barn. This will cause months of CONSTRUCTION, TRAFFIC, and POLLUTION.

It will also cause permanent town-wide issues with STORMWATER FLOODING, WILDLIFE DISPLACEMENT, and create a need for ADDITIONAL FIRE, POLICE, and EMS SERVICES. The planning board must not approve ANY development on this property.

The historic Gerrit Haring House, built circa 1750, and the adjacent stone barn sit at 244 Old Tappan Road. The house is one of the few remaining sandstone houses in the country. It is registered with the National Register of Historic Places, the NJ Register of Historic Places, and the Bergen County Survey of Stone Houses. We support keeping this old Dutch homestead and barn in their culturally and historically significant location.

For the benefit of all residents, we must come together as a community to preserve what limited open space we have left in town. According to Old Tappan's current Master Plan, this residentially zoned property is a HIGH PRIORITY for the town to acquire. Given its central location and historic significance, it could be repurposed as a beautiful municipal park and educational nature center. But first, we must not allow the planning board to approve this application. COME TO THE APPEAL HEARING AND SHOW YOUR SUPPORT OF THESE OBJECTIONS.