Editorial: Keep North Caldwell Access
07/14/2006
The very name Hilltop has enflamed the passions of area residents for decades.
Politicians have eyed the 600-or-so-acre expanse of open space in North Caldwell, Caldwell, Cedar Grove and Verona for ratables, while environmentalists have fought to preserve its natural beauty.
Over the years, compromises have been reached till we arrived at the present situation.
Once home to a turn-of-the-20th century tuberculosis treatment center, most of the sanitarium's buildings on the Hilltop were converted into facilities for the mentally ill before the hospital facilities were consolidated into the Essex County Hospital Center in Cedar Grove, leaving the Hilltop buildings to decay.
The lower part of the Hilltop also housed the Essex County Jail Annex further down the hill in North Caldwell before it was finally closed in 2004.
In the 1980s then-Essex County Executive Peter Shapiro enraged environmentalists by proposing to sell off the county land for office development including an office building, housing and a hotel conference center. At one time there was talk of creating a golf course or a training camp for a professional football team.
Local communities feared such development would put a strain on the municipal services required to service the development. Nature lovers fretted about losing open space and the flora and fauna the Hilltop protects.
The proposal was laid to rest and the Hilltop was safe - for a while.
Though the road through the property from Cedar Grove to North Caldwell was closed in the 1980s, birders and hikers and anyone just out for a stroll in nature or taking a dog for a run continued to enjoy the pristine nature of the Hilltop. True there's been some vandalism and illegal use of alcohol and drugs on the property but for the most part it has served as a respite for those seeking a break from the stresses of everyday 20th and 21st century life.
In the midst of the Hilltop property it's hard to believe one is barely 20 miles from the buzz of Manhattan or even the hum of Bloomfield Avenue. On the Hilltop one is surrounded by the smell of wildflowers and the sounds of wildlife. It's a true refuge from modern life. One that is becoming harder and harder to find in suburban Essex County. But the dream of preserving the Hilltop untouched would not last forever.
In 1995, Essex County Executive James Treffinger sold the Hilltop to the Essex County Improvement Authority through issuance of $44.5 million in bonds to fill a budget deficit. Shortly after, the so-called Treffinger Plan proposed the creation of a 227-acre reservation as well as selling off land for residential development.
The Hilltop Reservation opened to the public in 2002 giving the public legal access to land formerly used for government purposes. Its entrance is from Fairview Avenue in Cedar Grove.
Some acreage has also gone to local towns for recreation purposes. While the subsequent sale of much of the land to developers ultimately led to the retirement of the $44.5 million debt, the area is now poised for the construction of homes, including 27 luxury homes on one-half to one-acre lots planned for North Caldwell.
Of great concern to many is the fact that the plans of the developer, K. Hovnanian, call for the closing of the existing entrance from Courter Lane in North Caldwell to the Hilltop Reservation. A new entrance is proposed from Verona. As letters to this newspaper have suggested - and we agree - the loss of access to the Hilltop property from North Caldwell would be a great shame. That entranceway allows for pedestrians to take a gentle walk up a gradual incline into the wonder of the woods. At the Cedar Grove entrance one is faced with a much steeper gradient. While it might be exhilarating and well worth the effort once you're at the top, it's not something everyone is able to tackle.
North Caldwell's entrance is much more accessible for young children or the elderly or those less fit who have an equal desire for the solace of nature.
We hope something is worked out between the developer and the county so entrances to the reservation can be available from Cedar Grove, Verona and especially North Caldwell. This friendly entrance is already there. Let's keep it so all can enjoy what's left of the Hilltop.
The Hilltop application will be before the Verona Planning Board at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, July 20 in the Verona Community Center.
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