Where’s the Horn Antenna???

In her 1970 song, while on a trip to Hawaii, Joni Mitchell wrote “They paved paradise and put up a parking lot … Don’t it always seem to go that you don’t know what you got ‘till it’s gone.”

Could this happen in Holmdel in 2023?

In this case, it would be removing a National Historic Landmark and replacing it with parking lots and townhouses in a district that currently does not allow for residential housing, let alone a high-density development.

The Horn Antenna, used by scientists in 1965 to confirm the Big Bang theory on how our universe began, is currently on the Crawford Hill property at 791 Holmdel Road, only about ¼ mile from Holmdel Town Hall. The two scientists involved, including local Holmdel resident Dr. Robert Wilson, both received the Nobel Prize for Physics awards in 1978 for their work. The Horn Antenna was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1989.

In the latest twist, a “concept plan” dated November 2022 (see picture) obtained by concerned Holmdel residents from the Township showed that the Horn Antenna is gone and in its place are 81 townhouses. Earlier versions of the “concept plan” dated January and April 2022 showed the Horn Antenna in a small fenced-in area surrounded by clusters of townhouses.

In response to an inquiry from a Two River Times reporter after the April 25, 2023 Township Committee meeting, Mayor DJ Luccarelli indicated that the November 2022 version is not the latest and that no action has been taken due to pending litigation. The litigation referenced was a lawsuit filed by the Township for a judge to clarify who actually owns the Horn Antenna and whether the Township has the right to acquire the Horn Antenna as part of a possible eminent domain action.

Crawford Hill is currently located in a zone designated as RL-40. Both the Holmdel Municipal Code and the Master Plan are clear that residential housing development is not permitted under this current zoning.

In November 2021, Holmdel residents voted in favor to increase the tax levy for the Open Space Trust Fund with the explanatory statement that the increase is to fund various purposes such as additional acquisitions of open space. The Historical Preservation Plan Element of the Holmdel Master Plan specifically identified the Horn Antenna as a National Historic Landmark that should be protected. See also https://betterholmdel.wixsite.com/home/post/holmdel-and-the-big-bang-theory

In the past 20 years, there has been an increasing body of evidence that makes a compelling economic case for the preservation of open space. One study indicated that Holmdel residential development required $1.38 in public services costs (such as police, fire, EMS, public works, etc.) for every dollar of tax revenue while open space requires $0.66 in services for every dollar of tax revenue collected. See also https://patch.com/new-jersey/holmdel-hazlet/economic-case-preserving-horn-antenna-crawford-hill

Calls to save the Horn Antenna and to preserve the Crawford Hill property as a historic public park has been growing in recent months. Jumping in the fray in support of concerned residents are Congressman Andy Kim (Holmdel’s new Congressman this year), State Senator Declan O'Scanlon, Assemblyman Gerry Scharfenberger, and Assemblywoman Vicky Flynn.

Given all the above, will Holmdel Township Committee pave over history and put up parking lots and townhouses when they have the opportunity to preserve it as a historic public park?

Will this affect the November general election for Mayor DJ Luccarelli, who is running for re-election to the Holmdel Township Committee this year?

Stay tuned!