UPDATE: Holmdel Moves Public Hearing for Redevelopment Study

August 12, 2023 – The Holmdel Planning Board posted an update that the public hearing for the redevelopment study of Crawford Hill property, Lot 7, will be moved from August 15th to September 5th, 7 pm.

The owner of Crawford Hill property, home of the Horn Antenna, a National Historic Landmark, had proposed to build a residential development containing more than 80 townhouses. The Holmdel Township Committee had authorized a redevelopment study of the Crawford Hill property in November 2022. There has been a groundswell of public voices to save the historic Horn Antenna and preserve the Crawford Hill property as a public park instead of the high-density townhouse development.

At its August 8th meeting, the Township Committee announced plans for possible eminent domain for approximately 34 acres out of 43 acres at Crawford Hill including Lot 6 where the historic Horn Antenna is located.

Crawford Hill’s Lot 7, which contains the former Nokia building, is still the subject of the redevelopment study that is pending before the Planning Board. At the public hearing on September 5th, the public will have the opportunity to comment on the redevelopment study.

A draft of the redevelopment study is now available and concludes that the lot is an area in need of redevelopment. This conclusion is not surprising. The important question is not about this conclusion but what will the Township Committee decide to do next. It has several options including, possibly, preserving this lot as open space along with the two lots.

Citizens For Informed Land Use (“CILU”) recently sent an email to its members stating that its Board “is advocating for acquisition of the ENTIRE Crawford Hill property, not just the upper lots. Rezoning and development of the site would be inconsistent with Holmdel’s Master Plan and would limit public access and eliminate the potential to use the existing structure as an educational center or parks building.”

Stay Tuned!