A critical fight is unfolding in our backyard — and we need your help.

The Washington Township Town Committee has approved an ordinance change that opens the door for a 125-unit apartment complex at 214 Kings Highway, right along the Musconetcong River — a NJ State-designated Category One trout stream, recognized for its exceptional ecological value and pristine water quality.

This isn’t just poor planning — it’s a threat to everything that makes Long Valley special.

Why We Must Act Now:

• Environmental Impact:

1. The proposed building site is currently considered a contaminated space by the EPA. Residents of the surrounding area are very concerned about the potential risk of residual contaminants being pushed into our local wells.

2. The Musconetcong River along this location is one of the few remaining pristine trout streams in the state, and is also deemed critical habitat for several state-designated threatened wildlife species. Building a dense housing complex on its banks risks polluted runoff, sedimentation, and irreversible damage to this fragile ecosystem.

• Traffic Safety: Kings Highway is already known for its dangerous driving conditions — Extremely limited visibility along several sharp S curves, numerous serious accidents, and no shoulder or pedestrian walking area. Additionally, Kings Hwy is a significant traffic hazard where it meets RT 57, as the constant traffic flow and limited visibility makes it very difficult for drivers to pull out safely. Ignoring the numerous hazards of this country road by adding hundreds of vehicles from a 125-unit complex will exacerbate these issues and could lead to another Kings Highway tragedy.

• Overburdened Schools: This development has the potential to bring over 200 new students into our school system, forcing redistricting, hiring of additional teachers, and a complete reworking of bus routes. This will come at significant cost to taxpayers in Washington Twp.

• Lack of Transparent Governance: There is growing concern that this development is being supported, if not quietly encouraged by members of the current Town Committee, despite repeated overwhelming public opposition for the past 12 years. This new attitude by the governing body defies our long-term community planning, that never envisioned high-density development in this sensitive area.

We Need Your Help

We have formed a grassroots, nonprofit coalition of residents working to stop this development through immediate legal action, public awareness, and policy advocacy. But we cannot do this alone.

Your donation will go to our NJ Non-Profit organization, "Washington Twp Against Reckless Development". All funds will be used for a legal challenge to the recent ordinance change. Our volunteer members will also be pursuing community outreach and awareness campaigns to rally public support, as well as engagement with state-level officials and agencies that should be involved.

Every dollar counts in the fight to preserve Long Valley’s rural character, environmental treasures, and safe roads.

Please donate today to protect our community’s future.

Together, we can ensure that Washington Twp (Long Valley) remains the beautiful, safe, and tightly knit community we all love — not a cautionary tale of careless overdevelopment.