Kara Homes at Tallymawr is a new residential development (the first home was delivered at the end of September, 2003) located in the North Dover section of Toms River. What today is a community of 149 new single family homes was once an underutilized piece of property of roughly 100 acres, located next to a landfill. Given the location and desire to attract families seeking a safe, friendly neighborhood for their children, the developer, Kara Homes, took the initiative to conduct a Preliminary Assessment (PA) and Site Investigation (SI) and to obtain a No Further Action (NFA) letter and Covenant Not to Sue (CNS) so new home buyers would feel satisfied that no adverse environmental conditions existed. To further assure buyers, Kara Homes took the initiative of installing a landfill gas detection and ventilation system in each home and provided notice to prospective purchasers that a landfill is situated next to the development. As an additional precaution, a notice was included directing owners not to install private potable wells at any of the home lots. The inactive landfill, which is not part of the development, is going to be developed as a golf course by another developer.

Ingredients for Success:

1. The site's size (100 acres) and location made for an attractive purchase price and made it attractive for development. It is also located in a growing area of the state.

2. The property owner and the state's "dynamic duo" for Prospective Purchaser Agreements (PPAs) worked together to ensure the families moving into the new development would be free of concerns about future legal liability. The PPA was modified to fit the specific needs of the site and the development.

3. The developer worked with the NJDEP case manager, Mike Tompkins, who reviewed the PA and SI quickly. The PA and SI were performed to determine if the landfill site had impacted the Kara Homes property. The voluntary remediation and development were done concurrently.