Last week, the New Jersey Sierra Club announced their endorsement of Steve Stegman and Benedetta Lambert for Lambertville City Council. They are running on a platform that opposes overdevelopment in Lambertville and vows to stop projects that are “out of sync” with Lambertville’s character. The endorsement was voted on and approved by the Sierra Club Hunterdon Warren Group, and was approved by the Local Endorsement Committee of the New Jersey Sierra Club Political and Executive Committees.

“We are proud to announce our endorsement of Steve Stegman and Benedetta Lambert for Lambertville’s City Council. As council members, they will work to stop overdevelopment and protect the environment in Lambertville. There are proposals that could ruin the historic character and overdevelop the community, with impacts of traffic and flooding. Lambertville needs a City Council that will stand up and protect our town and the charm of Lambertville,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. “Lambert and Stegman are also people who will really stand up and fight the PennEast project, which would threaten open space, farmland and drinking water for too many people.”

Steve Stegman was formerly a city councilman in Lambertville for 17 years. He has worked on many projects to benefit the people of Lambertville, including reusing and preserving buildings like the historic City Hall and Library.

“It is an honor and a privilege to be endorsed by the most influential grassroots environmental organization in the state; The New Jersey Chapter of the Sierra Club,” said Council Candidate Steve Stegman. “This single organization has been a leader in the fight to stop the PennEast pipeline project and that just scratches the surface in their mission to protect the wild places of the earth. While environmental protections are being eroded at the federal level, we must do our part here in Lambertville to ensure that our environment and natural resources are safeguarded from bad actors. Clean air and water are essential, universal rights and we will fight to protect them at every turn.”

Stegman and Lambert will fight to protect Lambertville’s historic character, which is more important now than ever. Historic buildings like the historic City Hall are now under threat from development in Lambertville. City Officials in Lambertville are currently planning to sell the historic City Hall, police station, and historic Library. This would then lead them to build a new City Hall Complex.

“Steve and Benedetta will stand up to protect our environment. As council members in Lambertville, they will fight against the PennEast Pipeline, which threatens wetlands, waterways and parkland in an area of great natural beauty, with no clear economic benefit. Their commitment to protecting the environment and preventing overdevelopment and sprawl in Lambertville make them the best candidates for Lambertville City Council,” Jonathan Wall, Chair of the Hunterdon Warren Group. “This endorsement decision is made by grassroots volunteer activists in our Hunterdon Warren Group and across the state. We believe that Stegman and Lambert will champion the environment in Lambertville.”

Benedetta Lambert has lived in Lambertville for the past 35 years. She has been involved with various community organizations including Fisherman’s Mark and The Kalmia Club. She has also worked with different State and County agencies that serve special needs individuals in Hunterdon and Mercer Counties.

“Our small town is known for its beautiful scenery and we have a duty to protect that for generations to come,” said Council Candidate Benedetta Lambert. “We are grateful for the endorsement of the New Jersey Chapter of the Sierra Club and we thank them for supporting our candidacies. Make no mistake, we remain committed to protecting our fragile natural areas for generations to come and to provide common sense solutions to address the city’s sociological, economic and environmental commitment for today and for tomorrow.”

The latest threat of overdevelopment in Lambertville comes with the listing of the Homestead Farm Property. The property is listed for sale for $2,890,000. It was originally listed as the site for 5 units of affordable housing in the Master Plan, but those 5 units were moved to the Lambertville Police Department site.

“We are endorsing Benedetta and Steve because we know that they will fight to preserve the historic character of Lambertville. They are also committed to an open government process and listening to the public. The proposed developments in town go against Lambertville’s character and will pave over environmentally-sensitive areas. The entrance of the town of Lambertville will end up full of development, which means more traffic, traffic lights, roads, and infrastructure,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. “We believe that Benedetta Lambert and Steve Stegman will help us fight against the overdevelopment agenda that is being pushed in Lambertville. They will work tirelessly to help protect the shape of Lambertville for future generations.”

The Sierra Club is the nation’s oldest and largest grassroots environmental organization with 3.8 million members and supporters nationwide. As Tittel describes it, “The Sierra Club endorsement is the green version of the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval.”