UPPER FREEHOLD: Town says no sewer hookup for Reed Park

By Jane Meggitt, Special Writer
   UPPER FREEHOLD — Although the township and borough share a school district, there hasn’t been much cooperation between Upper Freehold and Allentown municipal governments in recent years and the latest development related to Reed Park apparently continues the trend.
   The township recently wrote to borough to provide water and sewer service to the 30-acre park located on the Route 526 near the municipalities’ borders. At the Nov. 15 Township Committee meeting, the governing body grumbled about the borough’s response and ultimately decided to forget the idea.
   ”We’re not going to pursue it,” Township Administrator Dianne Kelly said on Nov. 20. “We’re going to dig a well and do our own septic.”
   Ms. Kelly said the township’s engineer, Patrick Jeffery of T&M Associates, is conducting soil tests at the park for septic suitability.
   The Oct. 22 letter signed by Allentown Mayor Stu Fierstein, which was discussed at the Nov. 15 Township Committee meeting, said the borough requires more information from the township in order to determine if Reed Park is a “suitable candidate” for the borough’s water and sanitary sewer infrastructure.
   The letter states that the Reed Park lot is not currently included in the borough’s sewer service area, therefore, an amendment to the county’s wastewater management plan would be required.
   It further states: “It is unknown if the downstream sanitary sewer has sufficient available capacity to accept the peak wastewater flows conveyed by the proposed development” and requests additional documentation for its engineer’s review.
   The borough also requested estimated peak flows from large events such as sports tournaments, along with the size and alignment of the sanitary sewer and water infrastructure and proposed connection point. The letter states that providing water to the lot might require upgrades in the borough’s water system infrastructure. It also states that borough ordinances require connection fees for water and sewer service.
   Upper Freehold had requested a waiver of these fees, as residents from both municipalities use the park. The borough’s letter said it could decide on the fee waiver request after receiving an escrow from the township for legal and engineering review and preparation of contracts, as well as all the other data requested in the letter.
   Last year, borough resident Wil Borkowski was at a Township Committee meeting and urged township officials not to “waste money” putting a septic system at Reed Park because Allentown’s sewer line runs in front of the property.
   At the Nov. 15 meeting, Committeeman Bob Faber said the township might have to raise recreation fees for nonresidents to pay for putting in septic and a well at Reed Park, which is primarily used by youth lacrosse teams. Currently the site does not have indoor toilets or a concession area.
   The issue of recreation fees has been a sore spot between the two communities because Allentown residents are charged more for the use of Upper Freehold recreational fields and facilities than township residents. Upper Freehold maintains the practice is justified because its residents are paying the debt service, through their property taxes, on the bonds that helped pay for construction of the facilities.
   Two years ago when the township was planning to build a handicapped-accessible restroom at the Mark Harbourt soccer fields, discussions between the township and borough over a sewer hookup also went nowhere.
   Borough officials said they would waive sewer hookup fees and usage charges for the project if the township would equalize the recreation fees paid by borough and township residents.
   Township officials rejected the offer because they said it would be cheaper over the long haul to install a septic system than to permanently reduce the recreation fees paid by hundreds of borough residents.