Fresh Ponds Road widening, other improvements tabled
Officials will first discuss the possible project with residents, engineer
EAST BRUNSWICK — The Township Council has tabled an ordinance authorizing improvements to Fresh Ponds Road so that officials can further discuss residents’ concerns.
The council tabled the ordinance, which would authorize funds for the project, at Monday’s meeting, with Mayor William Neary saying officials want to meet again with engineers and discuss feedback from residents.
Improving Fresh Ponds Road has been a goal of the council’s for at least two years, as officials want to "modernize" it, Neary said.
He said the township is considering a number of improvements to the rural road, which is five miles long and runs from South Brunswick to Milltown. Only about 2,000 feet of the road would be affected by the project.
Among the township’s goals are to widen the road somewhat, improve visibility and deal with flooding issues there.
"Most of the road is between 26 and 28 feet wide," Neary said. "We want it all to be around 28 feet wide."
He said some parts of the road are lower than others, which impairs visibility for drivers.
"The road has hidden driveways and drops that hinder visibility," he said.
Another problem involves the drainage ditches that were built alongside the road to help alleviate flooding. If a vehicle tries to drive off the two-lane road — in case an oncoming car crosses into its lane, for example — the vehicle would end up in one of the 2-foot-deep ditches. Neary said that could be more dangerous than staying in the lane.
"You don’t see new roads built with holes next to them for water to flow into," he said.
"We’re trying to make it into a real road; it’s a back road now," he said. "There are some active farms there, and the houses are spread apart.
"There are flooding issues when it rains hard. There are some drainage ditches that get clogged when it rains. It needs to be looked at from a more modern view," he said.
He said officials are concerned with preserving the character of the road, while still alleviating the safety and flooding problems. The council has been actively seeking residents’ feedback since it began considering the project.
Neary said officials’ original plan was to install sidewalks and expand the road by more than 1 foot. Residents, however, felt the proposed changes would change the character of the neighborhood, so officials decided to drop the sidewalk idea and lessen the amount the road would be widened, he said.
"Some people want us to do nothing, some want us to find a middle ground, and some like our plans as they are now," he said. "We’re trying to coordinate where that middle ground is."
He said the township will soon hold a meeting to get more information from its engineers, and officials will also look at the results of a survey that was sent to residents of the road.
"We had three meetings already with people who live there," he said.
The project is far from a done deal, he stressed.
The ordinance that was tabled would authorize the township to spend money on the project. The township would also need to negotiate with property owners in order to acquire the land needed to expand the road, he said. If the sides cannot come to an agreement, the township may use eminent domain laws to purchase the land.
"We have not begun negotiations with them yet," the mayor said. "Once we have the project lined up, we can go back and say to them exactly what we need."
The township does not have an estimated cost for the project yet, although Neary said he would like to know by the end of the year whether the township is going forward with the project and what the exact plan will be.