Mill Street project gets unexpected boost

A small section needed for an easement on the Stockton street is owned by the New Jersey Water Supply Authority, not the state, so a lease already has been agreed upon.

By: Linda Seida
   STOCKTON — The drainage improvements and reconstruction work for two-thirds of Mill Street should be completed by the end of the month, and an unexpected development announced Monday will lead to an easier completion of the remainder than officials originally anticipated.
   Also Monday, the Borough Council introduced an ordinance to authorize spending an additional $100,000 for engineering costs associated with the roadwork for the flood-prone street.
   Officials also introduced an amendment that would exempt the project from the town’s stormwater regulation but still requires it to adhere to state standards. Public hearings to discuss the ordinance and the amendment will be held Nov. 27 during the council’s next meeting.
   The drainage improvements and reconstruction are being performed in three phases. Phase I and Phase III are under way now, but Phase II was expected to take much longer and entail a large hurdle.
   Officials had believed a small section of land needed for an easement for Phase II was owned by the state. If that had been true, the borough would have had to appeal to the State House Commission, which can be a lengthy process.
   Borough officials have learned the land needed for an easement, where a drainage pipe will be installed, is actually owned by the New Jersey Water Supply Authority. The utility has agreed to lease an easement for the small plot, about 25 square feet, to the borough for $100 a year.
   The authority normally requires an appraisal for such transactions, but agreed to waive the requirement, according to the borough’s attorney, John Bennett.
   The council originally had authorized $250,000 for engineering expenses associated with the project.
   "It looks like we’re going to blow past that," Mr. Bennett said.
   To make sure funds are available, the council introduced an amendment to a bond ordinance that would authorize spending as much as another $100,000 for engineering costs.
   The authorization would not mean the borough will definitely spend that much, but only that it may spend that much if required, according to Mr. Bennett.
   Also, the authorization would not change the total cost of the project, which is slightly more than $1 million. What it would do is change how some of the available funds are used, allowing them to go toward engineering fees, Mr. Bennett said.
   Under the terms of the town’s stormwater regulations, a disturbance of land of 7,500 square feet would be considered a major development and trigger additional review. If the amendment introduced Monday passes, the borough’s public works projects, such as Mill Street, would be exempt from the town’s standard of 7,500 square feet.