Pushback On Proposed Brewery Continues In Mendham Township

MENDHAM, NJ — Backer Farm, a local family-run preserved farm, is coming up against criticism from residents as it seeks to add a brewery operation on their property, with citizens protesting potential environmental and cultural impacts.

Several residents spoke out against the potential development at the township committee meeting last Monday, citing too many uncertainties in the application and plans for many of them to feel comfortable allowing the addition to the community.

Among the many speakers was Frank Pinto, Backer Farm's project manager and spokesperson.

Pinto addressed some of the concerns thrown out by residents, addressing the potential environmental impacts that could arise with the changes to the preserved farmland.

"There are no new buildings proposed as part of the brewery project. It is going to be, basically, a redevelopment and reconstruction of the existing hay barn. There is no activity being proposed within the wetlands... Not even any of the buffers are being impacted," Pinto said.

The Backer family, who have been in the Mendham community for more than 90 years, intends to use a public water system for all brewery operations, with wastewater trucked off-site once a month.

According to Pinto, the Backers have hired a number of professionals to help them maintain the project's integrity. Among the professionals hired were a civil engineer, a land use planner, a professional wetlands scientist, and a farmland preservation expert.

Resident Bob Fox argued that despite the township's allowances for waivers from municipal regulations, one topic that was left out was the safety concerns caused by increased traffic.

"The absence of the matter of public safety concerning the increase of traffic on the road and through two of the most hazardous intersections in the township was not even mentioned in the attorney's response," Fox said.

In his comment, Fox alleged that the addition of the brewery would increase the number of vehicles in the area by nearly 300%. "The proposed brewery would have a major impact on safety at two dangerous intersections."

In response, Pinto stated that a traffic engineer had been hired by the Backer family to review any and all impacts on the local roadways.

Resident George Koenig stated that the project should have to go through the township's environmental commission. "I understand the jurisdiction is with the agriculture board, but I don't think that skirts your abilities or responsibility to give input on Mendham Township land that's being developed."

Read more: Backer Farm Moves Forward In Brewery License Application In Mendham

The Mendham Township Zoning Board of Adjustment voted 5-2 in favor of the Backer Farm project last February, stating that the development was permissible under the township's agriculture ordinance.

Following zoning approval, Backer Farm will hold a public hearing in front of the Morris County Agricultural Development Board to have its site-specific agricultural management practice application heard.

The Morris County Agriculture Development Board scheduled a virtual hearing on the farm's proposal for a brewery and tasting room on Aug. 11 after months of waiting, but it was canceled.

According to Pinto, the cancellation was caused by the township's engineer changing his mind about whether the project qualified as a major stormwater development. According to Pinto, the change in opinion occurred on Aug. 10, prompting the county to cancel the public hearing.

While residents were pleased to hear a representative of the brewery project clarify some issues, a couple of them stated that they needed even more transparency before feeling at ease.

"I would love to sit down with the Backers and get a few neighbors together with them. Let's sit down and chat, let's see if we can walk through it. Tell us really what you're thinking and we will tell you what we're really thinking. We don't have to argue this out in court, this thing will go for years at this pace. I think there might be a possibility of a solution, where they can have a nice, quiet, economically viable community brewery that we can all be very proud of," Koenig said.

This story has been updated to add background on the Mendham Township Zoning Board of Adjustment's previous decision.