Blue Ridge Real Estate’s president and CEO responded to questions and allegations from Kidder Township residents on Friday.
Residents argue Blue Ridge’s first warehouse pollutes the environment as the township waived its Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) in 2019, according to township documents. EIS statements hold developers accountable by documenting plans for environmental damage mitigation. That warehouse is at 880 State Route 940 in Lake Harmony, Pennsylvania.
However, Blue Ridge’s President and CEO Bruce Beaty said in an emailed statement that the company “has not built any warehouses in Kidder Township.” He provided the following timeline, including a property sell date.
“Blue Ridge received an offer from EXETER INDUSTRIAL DRIVE ROUTE 940 LAND I, LLC (“Exeter 1”), to purchase undeveloped land in 2017 (BRRE Lot#1), and subsequently entered into an agreement of sale with Exeter 1 in 2018…All the permits were received by late 2020 and Exeter 1 closed on the agreement of sale in 2021. Our view is that the land was “sold” with the commitment to the Exeter 1 project in 2017. As Exeter 1 did not own any land, Exeter and its engineers’ submitted plans and permit application under Blue Ridge’s name,” said Beaty.
Blue Ridge was listed as the property owner when the township waived the first warehouse’s EIS statement, according to township records.
Exeter 1 and Blue Ridge are listed under the same deed number on Carbon County’s property ownership records as selling the property to its current owner, EQT Exeter, on January 13, 2021, according to township records.
Beaty added Blue Ridge “accepted an offer from [a separate company,] EXETER INDUSTRIAL DRIVE ROUTE 940 LAND II, LLC (“Exeter 2”), in 2021 for… (BRRE Lot #2).” However, that “agreement was terminated in 2023 and Blue Ridge assumed Exeter 2’s permit plans and applications.” Township supervisors gave Blue Ridge conditional approval for that warehouse in late March.
Residents criticize Blue Ridge’s plans for that warehouse. LOVE Kidder Township, a protest organization made of mostly township residents, hired an engineer from Meliora Design to review Blue Ridge’s stormwater management plan. Michele Adams, Meloria’s president, said Blue Ridge’s plans to use evapotranspiration were “incorrect” and fail township guidelines.
“The applicant’s plans and calculations do not represent correct calculations and assumptions, nor is the design adequate to support the performance assumptions the applicant has made,” said Adams. “Construction details are both lacking and incorrect for the design that the applicant has proposed. Maintenance and operation are not addressed. It is my opinion that the proposed stormwater system does not meet the requirements of the Kidder Township Stormwater Ordinance.”
Blue Ridge’s attorney, Nate Fox, argued Adams “advocates” for Blue Ridge to follow “not yet adopted regulations or authorities” for their stormwater plan. He said Blue Ridge will follow all Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) guidelines.
Beaty added that Blue Ridge has no comment on LOVE Kidder and “respect[s] all residents’ right[s] to have an opinion one way or another related to matters in their town. We will respond to all questions and comments that we receive from Kidder Township, Carbon County conservation district, DEP, PennDOT, Army Corp. of Engineers and any other agency that has authority.”
