South Amboy council talks redevelopment

BY JACQUELINE DURETT
Correspondent

SOUTH AMBOY — The City Council at its Nov. 3 meeting took action to advance some of its redevelopment efforts.

For one, the council decided to move forward with investigating the former Sun Oil site for potential redevelopment, though no plans are definite yet.

“It’s just going into a study to see if it meets the criteria for redevelopment,” said council President Fred Henry.

The site, which is located at Rosewell and Augusta streets, has contamination issues, and should a developer purchase it, that builder more than likely would absorb the cost of remediation, Henry added.

The site has been labeled by the federal Environmental Protection Agency as “in compliance” and “permanently closed.”

City Business Administrator Camille Tooker said after the meeting that she did not think there were any structures on the property, which is also known as the “WAS Terminal” or “Wische property.”

Following the investigation, the Planning Board will make recommendations regarding the site.

The council also approved a resolution authorizing the transfer of a liquor license. This license, formerly held by Rosewell Liquor & Deli, was purchased by South Amboy Liquor & Food LLC.

According to the council, the new operator of the currently closed retail store on Rosewell Street will reopen the store and use the site in a similar fashion to the previous one. No change to the building’s footprint is proposed. As such, Henry said, the site owner will most likely not have to go before the Planning Board for any approvals.

Also discussed at the meeting was an escrow agreement among the city, its redevelopment agency and Amboy Waterfront Acquisition Associates, which is the name O’Neill Properties Group will be working under for its local development efforts. City Law Director John Lanza said O’Neill will be paying for the city’s professional services.

Resident Philip Green asked about the status of the properties O’Neill is looking to redevelop.

“We have not gone to a redevelopment contract yet,” Lanza said. However, he added, the project is moving forward and there is a purchase contract in place.

He said the city is not privy to information regarding the Amboy Aggregates purchase, since that would be a private sale.G

reen asked if the South Amboy projects were dependent on O’Neill’s redevelopment of the former National Lead site in Sayreville.

“I think there is a general plan of bringing things together,” Henry said.

Looking toward next year, resident Larry Parsons asked if various department heads could attend City Council meetings. He said it might facilitate and expedite communication between them and the residents without someone at the meeting, such as a councilman or the business administrator, having to go back and get an answer.

Henry said it was a good idea.

In addition, resident Kate McLaughlin congratulated the Nov. 2 election winners, as well as Republican candidate Saverio Sagliocco who narrowly lost to incumbent Joseph Connors and newcomer Michael “Mickey” Gross.

“It’s the first time that he ran,” McLaughlin said of Sagliocco. “He did a wonderful job.”