I’m a West Windsor resident who lives near but not adjacent to the Mercer County College solar blunder. I have some questions that I have asked but for which I never got a logical response. I was wondering if you could print these so that someone might provide an answer.
1.) Why is it OK for Mercer County to use the taxpayers as guarantors for this project even after the taxpayers said that they did not want it?
2.) Why is it OK for Mercer County to OK a project that will cause additional flooding to an already flood prone Mercer County Park?
3.) Why is it OK for the college to build so close to people’s houses after they went on record saying that it would be farther than what is in the current plan?
4.) Why is it OK for this project to proceed without a contingency plan for the residents to fall back on when the runoff from the area floods their properties; floods their septic systems so that they can’t use their toilets; and floods their basements each time it rains? And their only recourse is to what, call the township after the flooding to be told there’s nothing they can do about it now, they should have done something earlier?
The only thing that is painfully obvious is that the residents and taxpayers have been sold out by their county and township representatives. You must ask yourself why? Someone has to benefit right? You don’t do a project without a benefit to someone? Is it the county college that will now get a free ride for electricity by touting the words “solar” and “green”? How “green” is something that someone else will have to pay for? How green is a flooded basement (unless you’re considering the nice color of the blue-green mold)?
Could it be that someone is making money off this? Maybe the township wants to promote the local businesses by having to repair the houses that will be flooded? Maybe that’s why our mayor never really stepped in to help; but only made a little noise when it was too late? Could someone else be benefiting? Maybe someone in the county government who “green-lighted” this project that the people didn’t want? Ah ha! There’s the green!
I am a terribly disappointed resident who once again feels that anything is OK for the county and town government to do if the only burden is to its tax payer. Well this taxpayer is a voter! A voter who can promise that he will speak up and vote against all the county and township incumbent politicians in the next elections.
Shame on Mercer County College for being a bad neighbor. Shame on Mercer County for “sticking it” to the tax payer again. Shame on West Windsor for not doing more to protect its residents before it’s too late.
Stan Bouton, PMP
Cubberly Road, West Windsor
