A year of living dangerously: Connaught Hill still in jeopardy

It has been almost a year since the public learned of KHovnanian’s proposal to build 200 housing units on Connaught Hill in Lambertville. From the beginning, this massive project has had massive problems —from environmental and safety issues to community impact. There has been widespread public opposition, yet the mayor continues to push the project forward.

The KHov site is now listed first in Lambertville’s new Round 4 Fair Share Housing Plan, even though it was already part of the Round 3 plan for 139 units (28 of them affordable) and is now the subject of a builder’s remedy lawsuit.

While this may be due to a procedural issue, it fails to acknowledge the seriousness of the problems and the lack of faith in the site’s suitability, as well as the planning board’s finding of the project’s inconsistency with the master plan.

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This is the wrong project in the wrong place.

From traffic and pedestrian safety to stormwater flooding and contamination, from the loss of 12 acres of forest to segregation of low-income families, the problems are extensive. Some of the biggest issues weren’t even known when the site was first chosen, like the unremediated landfill, the former electronics factory at the Lambertville High School site, and high levels of PFAS contamination in the groundwater. Building affordable housing on a contaminated site clearly violates environmental Justice principles.

Despite all this, and opposition even from members of the Lambertville City Council, Mayor Nowick continues to support the development. He has worked with KHovnanian for years and voted in favor of the plan at the Lambertville Planning Board. Notably, the Board voted 6-3 that the project was inconsistent with the Master Plan; Councilwoman Karen Kominsky voted against it.

Public Voices Ignored

Residents have called for the KHov site to be removed from the housing plan and replaced with a better-suited location, like the Village Apartments. The situation became even more critical after the discovery of PFAS contamination in the groundwater near the development site.

The City Council did not support the mayor’s attempt to extend the 200-unit redevelopment plan. Many thought that meant the project was dead—but instead, KHov sued under the builder’s remedy, citing the site’s inclusion in the Round 3 plan as justification. They even used the city planner’s own words against Lambertville in the lawsuit, claiming the site was “available, buildable, and would get approvals.” The mayor’s ongoing support for the 200 units also strengthened their case.

Why we’re vulnerable

We could have avoided this by removing the site immediately following the KHov non-renewal vote. By failing to do so—and failing to identify and substitute safer, more suitable locations—we were left exposed to litigation.

Now, in the Round 4 Plan, the KHov project remains included for the same 139 units, and the city planner is once again downplaying the site’s serious problems. This again weakens our case in the lawsuit. If the city somehow wins, KHov could simply challenge the Round 4 designation and push again for the full 200 units.

The mayor has stated “that he and the attorney wrote this part of the city’s report, ” that says:

“It is not clear whether the High School site is the source of the contamination, and the NJDEP is currently conducting a source investigation. Thus, it is not yet known the degree to which this recently discovered concern may affect the proposed density of the site.”

This statement is misleading. The issue isn’t just density—it’s whether the site is even suitable or buildable. The report omits key facts:

• High levels of PFAS in homes near the landfill
• The unremediated landfill itself
• The former Taurus electronics factory at the LHS site
• Other major issues, including traffic congestion and stormwater flooding risks

The same report claims:

“The [LHS] site can be developed consistent with Residential Site Improvement Standards (RSIS) and all other state regulations.”

At the same time, NJDEP just issued their statements detailing their investigation of the site and how it may involve remediation activities.  How extensive will not be known until they continue to survey the ever-expanding zone o contamination.  How can any jurisdiction plan for a site when the suitability is unknown and remains under state investigation?

The NJDEP has not determined that the site can be built on. The NJ DEP in a recent letter stated, “The investigation into the source of PFAS will take 2 years.”  There is no approved remediation plan for the landfill or any adjacent portion of the site. In addition, infiltration of stormwater is not allowed on contaminated sites.

Village Apartments: A missed opportunity

Once again, the Village Apartments site has been excluded, despite the property owners reaching out to the mayor to offer an affordable housing project. I recently discovered that four different proposals were submitted over the last three years. The only one made public was in June 2024, after closed-session meeting minutes were released due to a violation of the Open Public Meetings Act identified by City Council members.

The site is developable, and the floodplain areas on the site are surmountable under NJDEP proposed rules. The Mayor has continually downplayed the site and seems to be playing games. As if he doesn’t want any alternative to the 200-unit KHov Development.

What’s next 

Without alternative sites, the risk of being forced by the courts to approve KHov’s 200-unit plan—either through the current lawsuit or because it is part of our Round 4 Housing Plan–remains.

Members of the City Council have voiced concern and differing strategies. But the mayor is rushing a weak defense of the Khov lawsuit. Mayor Nowick’s actions seem to side with developers over the people and environment of Lambertville .

As to the Mayor’s Fourth round plan, read it for yourself and decide.

Jeff Tittel is the former director of the New Jersey chapter of the Sierra Club and is a longtime Lambertville resident.