FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 23, 2026
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Enviros Urge Holmdel to Follow Through on Critical Azura Updates to Protect Drinking Water and the Hop Brook Farm
HOLMDEL, NJ – Last night, the Holmdel Council announced it will work with Azura to revise its proposal. This includes installing a sewer line rather than using the outdated wastewater treatment facility. The town, using money from its Affordable Housing fund, and Azura will pay to decommission the treatment facility. On January 27th, the planning board will need to approve these modifications to the proposal.
The New Jersey Sierra Club, Waterspirit, and Save Monmouth County Water emphasize the importance of protecting the Swimming River Reservoir during the redevelopment project. This reservoir supplies drinking water to over 300,000 residents of Monmouth County. It is also crucial to ensure that vital farms, such as Hop Brook Farm, which is located across the street from the proposed site, are not adversely affected.
In a formal letter to DEP Assistant Commissioner Jennifer Moriarty, the organizations expressed grave concerns regarding the redevelopment of the former Vonage property at 23 Main Street by 23 MAIN STREET PROPCO LLC. In its original application, the developer sought to renew expired Discharge to Groundwater (DGW) and Sanitary Wastewater permits to serve a proposed 299-unit senior living and skilled nursing complex.
The property is situated in Planning Area 5 (Environmentally Constrained), a designation intended to limit development and protect natural resources. Under current plans, the facility would utilize an obsolete wastewater management system that discharges treated effluent directly into a Category-1 (C-1) stream feeding the Swimming River Reservoir. This reservoir is the primary source of potable water for residents in Middletown, Holmdel, and surrounding areas.
“ The Sierra Club supports responsible development that aligns with environmental best practices and protects natural resources. We support smart growth and redevelopment, but we need to do it in the right way. The proposed senior living community marks a significant change from the vacant office space, and the existing wastewater system cannot support it,” said Taylor McFarland, NJ Sierra Club Conservation Program. “It’s a good step in the right direction that the Holmdel Township Committee is making adjustments to the proposal. Given its proximity to sensitive water sources like the C1 Willow Brook Stream, Swimming River Reservoir, and vital farms like Hop Brook Farm, the town, the planning board, and NJDEP must ensure this project is safe for the environment and the public.”
“Access to clean and safe drinking water is a basic human right. The willful contamination of the drinking water for over 300,000 residents from an inadequate wastewater management design that does not meet current environmental standards cannot be the cost for redevelopment and affordable housing,” said Kin Gee, Save Monmouth County Water. “Stopping the contamination of our drinking water is in the right direction. The devil is in the details and we shall remain vigilant as we learn more. ”
“Water is a living inheritance, carrying life from one generation to the next, holding the memory of our choices. Given New Jersey is drought-stricken and climate-unstable, decision makers must lead with care. While the proposal has been altered, Waterspirit calls on the Holmdel Township Committee and NJDEP to continue to uphold their duty of Category 1 stream protection and proper wastewater management. Any activity that introduces wastewater into our local watersheds must meet the highest possible standard of care—not the lowest allowable one,” said Rachel Dawn Davis, Waterspirit. “What we allow upstream will shape everything downstream and our choices now will decide whether future generations inherit resilience or regret.”
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