LONG BRANCH — The City Council hopes the state helps fund the environmental cleanup of the former Chandler and Maps lumberyard property on the corner of Broadway and Ocean Boulevard that is slated to become a city parking lot.
During the June 23 meeting, the council passed a resolution in support of the redevelopment of the property and applying for a Hazardous Discharge Site Remediation Fund (HDSRF) reimbursement package administered by the N.J. Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the N.J. Economic Development Authority (EDA).
“Basically there is an environmental investigation of the properties that is still going on,” city redevelopment attorney Robert Beckelman said.
The grant would fund the reimbursement of the environmental investigation and eventual cleanup on the site if needed.
“We are eligible because we are a governing body that is now accomplishing an environmental investigation and cleanup if necessary, for purposes of redevelopment, which is considered a public purpose,” Beckelman said.
The property was the site of the Chandler & Maps Lumber Co. and is located in the city’s Broadway Gateway redevelopment zone adjacent to the already-approved WhiteChapel project, a beer garden and hall expected to be constructed within the next two years.
Earlier this year, the city announced plans to convert the lumberyard property to supplement beach parking.
Beckelman said major environmental issues on the site are not anticipated, but considering the site’s previous uses, which include a hotel, residences and commercial units, it is possible.
“We would do it anyway, which led to the discovery of some potential historic uses where there might have been an underground storage tank,” Beckelman said.
During the Feb. 10 meeting, the council introduced a $4.3 million bond ordinance to fund the purchase of the parcel.
Mayor Adam Schneider previously said initial plans for the site call for a parking deck with either retail or office space on the ground floor.
HDSRF grants and loans are available to public entities, private entities and nonprofit organizations that perform a remediation pursuant to DEP’s Site Remediation Program requirements.
The HDSRF was established in July 1993 to provide funding to public and qualifying private entities for the remediation of a suspected or known discharge of a hazardous substance or hazardous waste. The HDSRF is funded through a constitutionally dedicated portion of the New Jersey Corporate Business Tax.