Executive Summary

August 1, 2001

Prepared for:

Passaic River Coalition and

Borough of Bloomingdale

Open Space and Recreation Plan

Prepared by:

John Capozucca, Chairman

Bloomingdale Environmental Commission

I. BACKGROUND

The privately held area in the Borough of Bloomingdale known as Federal Hill is both extraordinarily environmentally sensitive and historically significant. Bloomingdale lies entirely within the New Jersey Highlands and is included in the Highlands Sole Source Aquifer area designated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under the Safe Drinking Water Act. Federal Hill is located in the southeastern section of the Borough adjacent to a stretch of the Pequannock River, a trout production waterway. The approximately 450-acre wooded tract includes four types of wetlands, threatened and endangered species, and extremely steep slopes. Historical evidence shows that Federal Hill was one in a long series of alarm stations during the Revolutionary War. Because of its height and central location above the Pompton Valley, a beacon was located there to raise the alarm in the event of a British advance up the Hudson River. In the winter of 1781, the Pompton Mutiny occurred on and around Federal Hill. The mutiny was put down by troops sent by George Washington and two if its leaders were executed. Archaeological research shows that Federal Hill was the site of aboriginal (Lene-Lenape) occupation.

In 1989, the Bloomingdale Environmental Commission (BEC) asked the NJ State Planning Commission (SPC) to designate Federal Hill as an Environmentally Sensitive Planning Area (PA5) but for some reason it was eventually mapped as a Suburban Growth Planning Area (PA2). In the late 1980s, developers without any approved plans received a court-ordered remedy to build affordable housing units. When Interstate 287 was completed in the mid-1990s, an interchange near Federal Hill made a large-scale development economically feasible. In 1999, the BEC petitioned the SPC during the second round of cross-acceptance to change Federal Hill from a PA2 to a PA5. In March 2001, the SPC changed the designation of Federal Hill to a PA5 in the newly adopted NJ State Development and Redevelopment Plan.

The BEC is optimistic and is working with the municipal, county, state, and federal governments to find funding to preserve Federal Hill. The BEC, in conjunction with several groups, including the Pequannock River Coalition, SkylandsCLEAN, the Passaic River Coalition, the Association of NJ Environmental Commissions, the NJ Conservation Foundation, the Highlands Coalition, and the Sierra Club have worked hard and are determined to preserve this critical treasure.

The BEC fully supports and strongly recommends that the acquisition of Federal Hill begin immediately.

II. EXTRAORDINARILY ENVIRONMENTALLY

SENSITIVE AREA

Federal Hill’s environmental significance is widely recognized and well documented. A section of the Borough of Bloomingdale Natural Resource Inventory describes the environmental sensitivity and historical significance of Federal Hill (see Section IV, paragraph 3). The site’s environmentally sensitive features include:

· Critical slope areas – extremely steep slopes, with potentially serious runoff and erosion problems

· Water quality – adjacent reach of the Pequannock River, a significant source of drinking water, is classified FW2-TP, Category I, with antidegradation requirements

· Stream corridors – numerous tributaries of the Pequannock River emerge near the base of Federal Hill

· Wetlands and ponds – four types of wetlands: open water, stream corridor, forested wetlands, and scrub-scrub wetlands

· Habitats of endangered and threatened species – wood turtle, great blue heron, little blue heron, red-headed woodpecker, and blue-spotted salamander have been sighted on Federal Hill

· Ridgelines with natural landscapes of exceptional scenic value – Federal Hill is a precipitous peak that rises dramatically to over 400 feet above the floor of the Pompton Valley

· Habitats with a wide diversity of resident species – an Ecological Assessment conducted by William Paterson University in 1997 concluded that Federal Hill “has a high biodiversity [supporting] many diverse species of animals… [and] is a healthy, functioning ecosystem [with] a wide range of habitats from deep wooded areas to ponds and marsh areas” and recommended that another “longer” study be conducted

In 1999, the BEC submitted data, including the Borough of Bloomingdale Natural Resource Inventory and the Ecological Assessment conducted by William Paterson University, to the State Planning Commission (SPC) to change the designation of Federal Hill from a Suburban Growth Planning Area (PA2) to an Environmentally Sensitive Planning Area (PA5). The SPC voted in March 2001 to designate Federal Hill a PA5. Concurrent with this designation at the state level, Bloomingdale voters approved a municipal Open Space Plan and tax (2 cents per $100) and placed Federal Hill at the top of its priority list for acquisition. Also, Passaic County increased its Open Space tax (1 cent per $100) and includes Federal Hill as a top priority in its land acquisition plan. Additionally, the BEC recently provided primary documentation on Bloomingdale and particularly Federal Hill to the USDA Forest Service researchers who are conducting the federally funded Highlands Region Study Update.

III. HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE

Federal Hill rises dramatically above the Pompton Valley. Although the highest probability for aboriginal (Leni-Lanape) occupation was along the banks of the Pequannock River, which meanders at the base of Federal Hill, an archaeological survey of the state of New Jersey conducted in 1913 by the Department of Anthropology in the American Museum of Natural History noted that “a small Indian cave has been located high up on the southern slope of Federal Hill.”

Because of its height and location, Federal Hill was the site chosen by George Washington to locate a beacon to alert the American troops in the event of British advancement during the Revolutionary War. It also was the site of the Pompton Mutiny which occurred there in the winter of 1781. The Pompton Mutiny, during which 160 soldiers mutinied against deplorable conditions and lack of clothes and provisions, resulted in the execution of two of the mutiny’s ringleaders. The bodies were buried at the scene.

Other information on the historical significance of Federal Hill include that:

· Federal Hill is listed on the official New Jersey Revolutionary War Trail for its association with the Pompton Mutiny

· Numerous Native American and Revolutionary War-era artifacts have been collected from the site by a local history teacher

· A book by Emil Salvini and a report by Mead Stapler contain maps of the historical locations of the battery and beacon that were located on Federal Hill (see map)

There are two Web sites available to learn more historical facts about Federal Hill. At www.skyclean.org, there are a few pages regarding Federal Hill if you click “Your Town” then Bloomingdale. At www.graphicwitness.com/federalhill/, there is a comprehensive collection of data about Federal Hill that includes photos, trivia, and the letter from George Washington ordering the execution of the Pompton mutineers.

IV. THREAT OF DEVELOPMENT

Federal Hill is privately owned. The owners are Higgins and Peragallo (34.7 acres), Meer Bloomingdale Estates (178.32 acres), BiCoastal Corporation-Singer (69.93 acres), and Gallo Asphalt Co. (164.55 acres). Development of Federal Hill has been contemplated for more than 50 years. The completion of nearby Interstate 287 in 1994 has created a climate in which Federal Hill is threatened with development despite its rugged topography, environmental constraints, and protection by the Borough of Bloomingdale Steep Slope Ordinance. The most recent threat of development is 360 residential units proposed by a developer on one of the tracts on Federal Hill.

Some of the negative aspects to high-density development on Federal Hill include:

· Erosion (Glen Van Olden, Director of the NJ Natural Resources Conservation Program in the Hudson-Essex-Passaic Soil Conservation District in a 1989 letter stated that “There exists a potential for erosion, drainage, and restabilization problems foreseen by the District if this site is to be developed.”)

· Displacement of land for building purposes, which can exacerbate flooding

· Degradation of streams that flow directly into the adjacent Pequannock River which is a source for drinking water and a trout production waterway (FW2-TP, Category 1)

· Destruction of wetlands

· Destruction of habitat for wildlife

Development on the critical steep slopes on Federal Hill would exacerbate an existing flooding problem in the adjacent “Flats” area and pose a direct threat to the health, safety, and welfare of the residents that live there. Furthermore, in the section entitled “Sensitive Areas” of the Borough of Bloomingdale Natural Resource Inventory (part of the boroughs Master Plan) it states, “Aside from the obvious historic and aesthetic qualities of the Federal Hill area in the southeastern corner of the Borough, there are two important environmental factors which qualify it as a sensitive area: wetlands and slopes. What is of particular interest is the presence of extremely steep slopes. Development here would encounter serious access problems and would result in a large increase in runoff and erosion. The thin, acidic soils associated with areas of steep slope are particularly sensitive to disturbances, and extensive regrading or other disruptive action could irrevocably harm the existing biota by changing both the flow of perched groundwater and the chemistry of the soil…. The steep slopes of Bloomingdale already produce heavy runoff during large storms – the flash flood problem is evidence of this. By removing vegetation and paving over areas on these slopes, the amount of runoff will be increased.… strict wetland protection must be practiced.”

It should be noted that from 1996 to 1997 the BEC attended municipal Planning Board meetings and vehemently objected to a proposal to build 144 units on one of the tracts on Federal Hill. After listening to the evidence, the application was soundly rejected by the Planning Board and an appeal by the applicant in Passaic County Superior Court in 1999 upheld that decision.

V. SUMMARY

The BEC is pleased that the state of New Jersey has now recognized the credibility of what the BEC said 11 years ago. The State Planning Commission (SPC) has designated Federal Hill a PA5 because of its extraordinary environmental sensitivity and historical significance. Also, the Passaic County and Bloomingdale Open Space Plans have recognized the site, and the County and the municipality have open space taxes to purchase open lands. However, Federal Hill is still threatened with proposals for high-impact development.

The BEC recently supported an application submitted by the Passaic River Coalition to begin the acquisition of Federal Hill and strongly recommended that the NJDEP Green Acres Program consider funding the proposal to purchase a significant 35-acre parcel.

The BEC appreciates the support and assistance of several groups, including the Pequannock River Coalition, SkylandsCLEAN, the Passaic River Coalition, the Association of NJ Environmental Commissions, the NJ Conservation Foundation, the Highlands Coalition, and the Sierra Club, all which have worked hard and are determined to preserve this critical treasure.

The BEC appreciates the opportunity to provide data conveying the extraordinary environmental sensitivity and historical significance of Federal Hill with this Executive Summary. For further information or to assist the BEC in their efforts to preserve Federal Hill, please contact John Capozucca, Chairman of the Bloomingdale Environmental Commission, at his e-mail address, jcapozucca@pace2001.com, or you may fax him at 973-492-1048. Please visit the two Web sites containing comprehensive information about Federal Hill: www.skyclean.org and www.graphicwitness.com/federalhill.