By Joanne Degnan, Managing Editor
UPPER FREEHOLD The Township Committee has unanimously approved a resolution of conditional support for the county’s proposed safety upgrades to a 1.5-mile stretch of Sharon Station Road that a few nearby residents oppose.
The resolution, approved June 7, states that the governing body supports the boulevard-style concept plan on the condition that county engineers “work with the homeowners” of two properties on the southbound side of Sharon Station Road to “further investigate the construction of a safe ingress and egress.”
Ken Giovanelli is one of the Sharon Station Road property owners who objects to the proposed grass medians, which will prevent some residents on his side of the street from making an immediate left turn out of their driveways to travel north.
Mr. Giovanelli said his excavating business’ trucks will have to travel south to a new roundabout the county intends to build at the intersection of Sharon Station Road and Route 539 in order to get to the northbound side of Sharon Station Road. However, his paramount concern, he said, is that the grass medians would delay fire engines and ambulances from reaching his home in an emergency.
”I hope some common sense prevails,” Mr. Giovanelli said.
County engineers, and the consulting firm that designed the project, say the new medians will help slow down traffic and improve safety, however, too many cutouts allowing every resident quick access to their driveway defeats the purpose of the medians. As it is, the concept plan already calls for the construction of jughandles at Dutchess Drive and Mark Drive to allow northbound drivers cross over to two housing development entrances on the southbound side of Sharon Station Road.
Township Committeeman Bob Faber said he agreed with Mr. Giovanelli that it was unfair for some residents to have direct access to jughandles when others are going to be greatly inconvenienced.
”Whatever they do on that road they should make it the same for everyone,” Mr. Faber said. “If they’re going to make an entrance and exit for one, they should do it for the others too.”
Mr. Giovanelli said he and his neighbor, Les Baird, have a meeting scheduled with county officials later this month and want to be able to say that the Township Committee is behind them. The Township Committee gave Mr. Giovanelli a copy of the signed resolution, which refers to his and Mr. Baird’s properties by lot and block number, and cites the need for “ingress and egress for those residents.”
The county and its consultants unveiled their Sharon Station Road concept plan at the May 17 Township Committee meeting. The project calls for the replacement of three narrow bridges with wider spans and a reduced 40-mph speed limit along the road. There would be two 11-foot-wide lanes of travel (one in each direction) separated by a 16-foot-wide grass median.
The project, which is expected to cost roughly $8 million to $10 million, is still a concept plan that needs environmental wetlands permits from the state Department of Environmental Protection and final approval from the Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders. The township’s governing body can make suggestions, but the county has the final say because it is a county road.

