7,000 Tractor Trailers Per Year!

7,000 Tractor Trailers per year!

Should Bernards Township approve a “Light Manufacturing” facility to proceed on Allen Road? If approved, Bernard Township will be inundated with tractor trailers, delivery trucks and abundance of noise.

If most of the tractor trailers are traveling from Port Elizabeth and returning for their next load they will mainly travel Route 78, Martinsville Road and Allen Road. This still leaves the unknown number of tractor trailers traveling via Mt Airy Road to Route 287. We can’t enforce tractor trailer drivers to use only Allen road, to Martinsville Road, to 78 West than on to 287 north or south. They will use Mt. Airy Road. And this will take place at all hours of the day. Mt. Airy Road may see up to two or three thousand tractor trailers every year. If this facility is used as a fulfillment center for Amazon, Target, UPS, FedEx whomever you need to also factor in the delivery trucks. How many of these per year or day will be added to these roads.

We are all aware of Highway wall effect. Throughout the year we hear the traffic from Routes 78 and 287. Depending on the weather and mostly the wind we hear what is called the “Diffractive Wave”. These are the sound waves mostly created from the tires on the road and carried over the 16 foot highway walls varying on factors such as the temperature, wind, foliage, asphalt or concrete density. The wall creates a barrier best for the first 50 feet and derogates the further away from the wall. After 300 feet the wall has no value at all. This is basic fundamentals of sine wave. Living on Lurline Drive for the past 31 years we hear the ping of the baseball bats at the little league field, and even concert events from Harry Dunham Park when the wind is correct. We now hear the traffic on route 78 one mile away and Mt. Airy Road throughout the day and night. It will only get worse.

Not only the residents along Mt. Airy Road should be concerned for their family safety, getting their mail, crossing the road, property value and road noise, all residents living on the connecting roads should also be concerned. Their backyard noise levels will also increase dramatically.

When Allen road was termed light manufacturing, Seal-Spout(c1944) was the only manufacturer on Allen Road and is truly the legitimate term for light manufacturing. They manufacture the metal spouts used for products like Norton Salt. Has anyone even seen a tractor trailer enter or leaving this building? Back when Allen Road was termed light manufacturing the only other reason to drive up Allen road was to visit Sky Farm(c1932), Irwin Richard’s Liberty Farm(c1900), the English Family property for lumber(c1700) or travel through to Somerville Road. The Hills didn’t even exist. Light manufacturing is a company operation like Seal-Spout, not a building with multiple bays for Tractor Trailers and delivery trucks. Please get out and voice your opinion at the September meeting.

Chris McManemin, Bernards Township, New Jersey