Randall Hill Development Back in Play

 MINE HILL NEWS:

Randall Hill Development Back in Play

by Brian T. Lynch, MSW

Jan 18, 2026

On January 8th, owners of homes within 200 feet from a large property off Randall Avenue began receiving legal notices via certified mail. The notices were from GZA Geoenvironmental, Inc. on behalf of the owners of the woods that run along the east side of Randall Avenue from Weber Lane to the bridge at the bottom of the hill on the Wharton line. Local residents know this property as the site of the abandoned Randall Hill mines, or as the site of the water tower on the hill, which serves our town and surrounding areas.

The property owners of these woods are listed on the notice as Randall LLC, Ellwood Associates LLC, and Jason B. Ellison. The notice was triggered by their application to the NJDEP for a “Line Verification” (LOI), which requests DEP staff to mark the wetland boundaries on their property with flags. LOI requests are made when owners have plans to develop the property. Per statute, this notification to property owners near the site “shall” contain a “description of the site and any proposed project” so homeowners can review the plans and submit their comments or additional information. The window for written comments is 15-days, four days from now.

Unfortunately, the notices we received don’t describe the property, the scope of the project, or what is being planned. As a result, some residents sent letters to DEP asking that the request be denied until a proper description of the development plans is provided to them.

With only rumors to go on, there is nothing I can tell you about what is being planned for the property, but a description of the property is a topic about which much can be said.

MINING HISTORY:

At 970 feet above sea level, Randall Hill is only 425 feet below the highest peak in Morris County. But it is best known for its mining history, not its height. Between 1855 and 1882 a rich iron deposit running for over 2,200 feet along the western slope of the hill was actively mined by both the Randall Hill and Jackson Hill mining companies. There are between 50 and 60 abandoned excavations along that line between mine shafts, air shafts, open pit, and exploratory digs. The deepest of at least six of the Randall Hill mine shafts are between three-hundred and seven-hundred feet deep. About 135,000 tons of high-quality iron ore was extracted from the Randall Hill mine, and another 100,000 tons of ore from the Jackson Mine further down the hill.

There are no records of the number of mine shafts at the Jackson Mine. Some of the activity there was open pit mining. The ore vein was about 125 feet below the surface. None of the excavations at these two mines were properly capped, and any lateral excavations from the main vertical shafts are not well documented. The surface areas over these abandoned mines are presumed to be unstable. The source for this information on the mines comes from an extensive, almost two-year investigation of the mines of Mine Hill conducted by Rutgers University. The report is entitled Abandoned Iron Mines of Mine Hill township, New Jersey and Subsistence Risk Assessment.

 The most recent mine collapse, observed by current residents, was discovered on or about January 26, 2020. Most of the upcoming discussion about development on this property will center around the abandoned mines, how best to stabilize the ground areas, and techniques best suited for this task. Prior landowners a few decades ago were unsuccessful in developing this land for high density housing because it wasn’t economically feasible. It remains to be seen what the new owners are planning. If they are planning an extensive development, there are rigorous qualifications required by Mine Hill statutes which readers can review here.

 

ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS:

A compelling case to limit development on this property can also be made on the basis of the habitat and hydrology of Randall Hill and its surrounding wetlands. It has been 134 years since mining activity ended on this land. Since then, regrowth of the forest and wetland areas have created a thriving natural ecosystem. The entire property is a beautiful habitat that delights residents with all the wildlife it supports. It is also an amazing groundwater recharge area that supplies most of the water that maintains the surrounding wetlands. A full explanation of the environmental considerations will follow in a separate post sometime in the next week or two. Until then, it is important for residents in town to be aware that development of this property has resurfaced again.