Lois' Long-Term Vision

Lois' vision for the Township Committee is no more short-term solutions for long-term problems.

Her vision for the township is of an Andover that retains its remaining farms, its rural charm, and where right-sized, low-impact housing and business development proceeds at a comfortable pace.

Simple changes that can have a big impact on how Andover looks and works are fronting residential, commercial, and industrial developments with trees and shrubs instead of pavement, in order to soften their visual impact; requiring that new stormwater basins be built as stormwater gardens; and encouraging LEED-certified builders to construct innovative hi-tech homes and office buildings.

We need to attract new companies that can provide in-home care, errand, transportation, and repair services so that seniors can stay in their own homes. And, we need recreation opportunities not just for sports-minded kids, but for all kids, as well as adults, seniors, and the disabled.

Lois Is Cleared

For those who haven’t heard, Lois has been cleared of all allegations made by her campaign opponents. At a special meeting on May 27, after two hours of deliberation, the Township Committee issued the following statement: “The Committee met and performed a fact- finding mission. The Township Committee has determined that even though an incident did occur it did not meet the legal definition of a bribe. Ms. de Vries has been asked to remove the statement from her website and she has agreed to do that.”

Restoring Habitat

In the middle of her election campaign for Township Committee, Lois took a day “off” on May 8th to head a group of volunteers who planted more than 300 bare-root shrubs during Andover Township’s Spring Detention Basin Planting Day. “Nature doesn’t wait until it’s convenient,” she said. Planting conditions were perfect: An overcast day that had been preceded by a week of rain.

NJ Department of Environmental Protection’s preferred Best Management Practice for handling stormwater over large areas is the so-called Marsh Meadow Detention Basin, designed to mimic a natural wetland. They are low/no maintenance, eliminate the need for fertilizer and pesticide treatments, act as a visual and physical buffer, control erosion, act as biolfilters, and restore wildlife habitat.

This year, local Girl Scouts led by Liz Kapuscinski assisted Commissioner Harvey Hummel in planting the basin at the municipal building

Thanks to everyone who participated, from left: Environmental Commission Vice-Chair Peter Spinney, Fred and Commissioner Diane Gillespie, Commissioners Linda Hubbard, Bob Green (rear) and Harvey Hummel, Commission Chair Lois de Vries, Partners in Wildlife Biologist Brian Marsh, and Master Gardener Irene Christodlous.

Transparency, Integrity, Experience

Transparency: What you see is what you get. Despite numerous shifts in the political winds, Lois has remained steadfast in her determination to provide safeguards that will protect the environment for Andover Township's residents, now and in the future.

If 15 different people ask Lois the same question, they all get the same answer, based on a thorough study of the available facts. And you can count on her to dig out the truth. She’s been doing it for the entire eight years of her public service to Andover Township.

She has nothing to gain and nothing to lose. “My identity isn’t all wrapped up in politics,” she said. “I have no political ambitions beyond serving the people of Andover Township.”

Integrity. Lois can’t be bought. Lois doesn’t hold secret meetings with developers or objectors. Everything is out in the open. She helps anyone who asks for help in navigating environmental issues, but she insists that everyone play by the same rules. “I don’t play favorites,” she explained. “Our residents expect us to make decisions about what is best for the town. I take that stewardship seriously.”

Experience in the Things That Matter. Lois has been working for a better Andover for eight years, through her volunteer service in the things that really matter in maintaining Andover Township’s rural character and the quality of life we all enjoy: The Environmental Commission (eight years), Land Use Board (four years), and Open Space Committee (three years).

She has a well-rounded familiarity with municipal land use law and state environmental regulations that give her a distinct advantage over other candidates. She understands that science-based zoning and land use regulations are critical to forming a long-term vision that puts the right type of growth in the right place.

She is the only township official who had the knowledge necessary to immediately respond to the threat of the Sparta Pumped Storage project.

Lois Cleans Up Andover

While anyone can say they “love the environment,” actions speak louder than words. Lois not only pitched in and recruited her husband Dan for Cleaner, Greener Andover Day, she also signed up the Environmental Commission to work as a team. Pictured top, from left are Commissioners Linda Hubbard, Bob Green, Lois, Open Space Chair Dan Freed, and Commissioner Peter Spinney. Not pictured is Commissioner Diane Gillespie.

The Environmental Commission team patrolled Vivian Plaza, Irving Place, Martin Street, and Arthur Avenue, collecting tires, a discarded lawnmower, two bags of recyclables, and six bags of garbage. They couldn’t reach tires that had been thrown into the Arthur Avenue pond and remind everyone that tires can be brought to the landfill in Lafayette, or held until next year’s Cleaner, Greener Andover Day, which will include tire collection.

Noticeably absent from Cleaner, Geener Andover Day were township committee members Tom Walsh, Phil Boyce, and Gail Phoebus who is running for re-election. All have publicly stated that they believe committee members should receive taxpayer-paid benefits, which Lois opposes, for people who are supposed to be in public service.

Lois believes elected officials should encourage volunteerism by their example. “How can we ask other residents to get out here and pick up garbage along our roads, if we’re not willing to do it ourselves?”

Key Accomplishments for Andover

Saved taxpayers more than $545,000 by securing grants from Green Acres, the NJ Department of Environmental Protection, the Association of New Jersey Environmental Commissions, and the Federal Partners in Wildlife Program.

Spearheaded the effort to call attention to the impacts the Riverbank Sparta and PSE&G projects will have on Andover Township, including degradation of the aquifer and condemnation of homes, forests, and wetlands to install power lines.

Commissioned a Hydrogeology Report to identify zones that have varying capacities for drinking water yield and recharge, in order to preserve and protect Andover Township’s water resources from overdevelopment, and home values from plummeting.

Produced a comprehensive Natural Resource Inventory (NRI) with more than 100 photos of important environmental features in Andover Township. The NRI is a critical tool in evaluating applications for development, amending the township’s Master Plan, and providing the science-based information needed to enact ordinances that ensure that the right kind of development goes in the right place.

Advocated for the Open Space Referendum, which was passed by a 62% majority of Andover voters, and secured multiple grants to fund the township’s Open Space Plan.

Continues to champion carbonate rock, steep slopes, tree canopy protection, and constraints ordinances that must be passed in order to match development to the carrying capacity of the land.

Created a brochure and draft ordinance to support the township’s Dark Skies Initiative in order to reduce excessive glare and light spill that degrades our enjoyment of the night sky.

de Vries Announces Candidacy for Andover Township Committee

Environmental Commission Chair Lois J. de Vries announced her candidacy for Andover Township Committee on Tuesday, March 31st . Known for her vocal opposition to the Sparta Pumped Storage project and passionate advocacy for the environment and open space, de Vries said simply, “As a member of the Township Committee, I’ll be in a better position to more effectively defend the quality of life that brought people to Andover Township in the first place. I’ve received a lot of encouragement to throw my hat in the ring.”

de Vries explained that her eight years of service as chair of the Environmental Commission and four years on the Land Use Board provide a depth and breadth of knowledge that other candidates don’t possess. “To have an impact in planning the future of the town, you need to be familiar with the goals of DEP regulations, as well as municipal land use law, which are critical in addressing the development issues facing us.”

In 2005, de Vries and Commission Vice-Chair Linda Hubbard were the first to sound the alarm on the dramatic effects caused when Limestone Quarry stopped pumping out 8 million gallons of water per day. While doing a site inspection, they began to sink into terrain that should have been frozen solid. Since then, Howell’s Pond has returned to its natural state and public and private wells have resumed their normal levels.

Two months later, a group of 20 environmental scientists from the DEP, accompanied by municipal and county officials, were invited to tour the then-flooded area. de Vries has championed a carbonate rock ordinance ever since. “We can’t allow our citizens to be exposed to haphazard fluctuations in the amount of drinking water in their wells, or the water in our lakes, streams, and ponds. It not only wreaks havoc for families and businesses, but also for the wildlife that depends on a stable habitat. The Riverbank Sparta project threatens that stability.”

de Vries has also taken a stand against the massive power lines proposed by PSE&G, as well as the convoluted path of the Riverbank Sparta transmission lines through the township. “These projects are on a scale never before seen in Sussex County,” she said. “It’s Wall Street versus Main Street all over again; a small town trying to fight the Federal government, huge corporations, and international investment bankers. But we can win as a town, if we pull together and focus on the right issues. That’s why I’m running.”

de Vries attributes her past successes to her persistence and her willingness to contribute countless hours digging through files, researching applicable rules and regulations, and establishing a network of people, both in and outside of government, that she can tap for information. In 2008, de Vries was honored as a recipient of the prestigious Jefferson Award, a presidential award founded in 1972 by Jacqueline Kennedy, Sam Beard, and Senator Robert Taft to honor people who do outstanding community service.

“Some people say I’m too fixated on the environment. I say that I have a big-picture, long-term vision that keeps me focused on the links between the health of the natural world and the well-being of our community. If we don’t keep the environment healthy, our families won’t be healthy either,” she said.