The Hopewell Township Planning Board on Thursday continued its review of “The Venue,” a proposed 600-unit development near Nursery and Scotch roads, with much of the evening consumed by public concern over a jet fuel pipeline that crosses the property.
The project, officially filed as part of a 2019 affordable housing settlement and upheld by a 2023 appellate court decision, includes 480 market-rate, age-restricted units and 120 affordable homes. Testimony Thursday focused on engineering elements including stormwater infrastructure, emergency access, and pipeline safety protocols.
Sean Delany, a professional engineer representing the applicant U.S. Home, LLC, described the development’s stormwater plan as significantly expanded under new regulatory standards. In particular, the planning board noted that this is the first project in Hopewell Township required to fully comply with the state’s updated MS4 stormwater regulations, which mandate more rigorous design standards for water quality, groundwater recharge, and green infrastructure.
“There are a lot of moving parts,” said Jason Tuvel, the attorney for the developer, referring to the complexity of the updated stormwater framework. He emphasized that the design must satisfy not only local review but approvals from multiple regulatory bodies, including Mercer County, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), the Delaware and Raritan Canal Commission, and the Soil Conservation District.
The plan now includes 64 stormwater basins—59 small-scale and five large-scale—distributed throughout the 180-acre site. Water from paved surfaces and rooftops will be directed into bioretention basins using engineered soils and vegetation to filter out pollutants before slowly releasing the runoff downstream. Delany testified that the system is designed to meet DEP thresholds for total suspended solids (TSS), reduce peak flows by up to 50% depending on storm intensity, and recharge groundwater to offset increased impervious surface.
Planning Board members asked pointed questions about modeling accuracy and long-term maintenance. “Are we being asked to believe that runoff can be modeled for 64 basins in a meaningful way?” asked Acting Chair Rex Parker. Delany said the model inputs follow NJDEP best-practice methods and that each basin would include a long-term maintenance plan filed with the township and subject to annual DEP reporting requirements.
Several board members emphasized that answers from the applicant were only part of the equation. The Township’s own consultants—including Planning Board Engineer Mark Kataryniak and legal counsel Francis Linnus—will continue to independently review all materials, including stormwater compliance, easements, and pipeline safety. “We need more than just assurances,” said board member Kevin Kuchinski. “This board has a duty to ensure this is safe for our residents.” Linnus echoed the point, reminding attendees that the board is responsible not only for land use but also for public safety. “This is not just a zoning question,” he said. “It’s a safety matter.”
Parker noted that the board had more questions that may require outside expert input, particularly on pipeline safety, and encouraged residents to continue raising concerns. “We are not rubber-stamping anything,” he said.
Pipeline Under Scrutiny
Much of the meeting was dominated by discussion of the 14-inch Sunoco/Energy Transfer pipeline that runs across the property. The pipeline is part of the Twin Oaks system, which is a mixed-use 105.5-mile pipeline that transports fuel, including jet fuel, diesel, and gasoline, from outside Philadelphia to Newark—passing directly through Hopewell Township.
Concerns have intensified following a January 2025 leak in Upper Makefield Township, Pa., just five miles from Hopewell, that released over 6,000 gallons of jet fuel into a residential neighborhood. Residents there are still grappling with contaminated wells, and vapor concerns in their homes. Cleanup has been slow, and less than five percent of the total fuel released has been recovered, according to Pennsylvania regulators.
Delany said the applicant coordinated early with the pipeline operator, performed test pits at all four proposed crossing points, and designed all roads and utility lines to comply with the company’s safety protocols. No structures will be built directly above the pipeline, and a representative from the pipeline company will be on site during any construction activity within 25 feet of the easement.
Kataryniak confirmed that such coordination is standard practice. “Crossings must be perpendicular and meet strict spacing, depth, and load requirements,” he said.
Still, Linnus pressed for greater transparency, requesting the full text of the recorded pipeline easement after noting it was not labeled in the project’s Environmental Impact Statement. “I need that to review,” Linnus said. “This should have been included.”
Kuchinski requested a clear post-construction compliance process and questioned whether additional regulatory oversight might be appropriate. “Residents need confidence that everything was done by the book,” he said.
Stormwater, Access, and Next Steps
In addition to pipeline concerns, residents of and around Nursery Road raised questions about the appearance and function of a basin planned behind their homes, and whether tree removal would affect screening or drainage. Delany responded that the basin would be landscaped with native plantings and that any necessary tree removals would be offset with screening buffers. The basin is designed to drain within 72 hours, minimizing mosquito risk, and lies below the grade of nearby properties—making backflow unlikely, he said.
There were also questions about a secondary access road planned for emergency use only. Delany confirmed that the road would be paved and gated in accordance with the fire marshal’s requirements, but not open to the public. Sidewalks will be added along Nursery Road per county requirements.
Testimony is expected to resume at the August 28 meeting. The Planning Board has requested additional documentation and input from its own professionals before reaching a decision, and the applicant has agreed to extend the statutory deadline for a vote. A final decision is now not expected before September.
“This is a complex proposal with serious public interest,” Parker said. “We need to get it right.”
Up Next
The Planning Board will hold a special meeting next week—on Tuesday, July 30—to hear the separate Gillespie application. Testimony on “The Venue”will resume at the Board’s regular meeting on Wednesday, August 28.
All Planning Board meetings are held via Zoom, and links are available on the Hopewell Township website.
