UPPER FREEHOLD – The Township Committee is taking action to enact improvements on Upper Freehold’s roads.
On June 14, committee members introduced a bond ordinance that will, if adopted, appropriate $3.5 million for road improvements and authorize the issuance of $2.88 million in bonds or notes to finance part of the costs.
According to the bond ordinance, the $3.5 million appropriation includes a $185,000 grant from the New Jersey Department of Transportation (DOT) and a $350,000 grant from the DOT, for a total of $535,000. The down payment for the cost of the improvements not covered by the $2.88 million in bonds or notes is $620,000, which is comprised of the $535,000 in DOT grants and $85,000 from the township’s capital reserve.
The $3.5 million appropriation will finance two road improvement projects, according to the bond ordinance.
One project will be road improvements, including Millers Mill Road and Jonathan Holmes Road (Meirs Road to Emley’s Hill Road), and all necessary and incidental work and materials. The estimated cost of this project is $1.8 million.
The second project will be road improvements that will include Emley’s Hill Road (Burlington Path to Long Acre), Jonathan Holmes Road (Route 539 to Meirs Road), Galloping Brook Drive, Alexander Drive, Vanker Drive, Chapman Drive, Clearwater Drive, Phillip Court, Forge Mill Lane, Tyler Court, Waterbury Court, Drews Lane, Quaker Hill Road, Wingate Court, Huntington Court, Cliffwood Drive, Jennings Drive, Elisha Drive, Denise Drive, Lonnie Drive, Diana Court, Roberts Court, Somerset Court, Trotter Way, Stacey Drive, Long Acre Drive, Burlington Path (Red Valley to Emley’s Hill), Davis Station Road (Route 539 to Harvey Road), and Walnford Road (Route 539 to Polhemustown), with all necessary and incidental work and materials. The estimated cost of this project is $1.7 million.
In other business, the committee introduced a bond ordinance that will, if adopted, amend an existing bond ordinance to provide for additional improvements and provide a supplemental appropriation of $580,000 for the improvements. The ordinance authorizes the issuance of $551,000 in bonds or notes to help finance part of the appropriation.
The $580,000 will be added to an existing $172,500 that was appropriated when the bond ordinance was initially adopted in 2011 for a total of $752,500 that will be dedicated toward repairs, renovations and/or replacement of basketball and tennis courts and various improvements to Byron Johnson Park, including the walking path along Ellisdale Road, the Mark Harbourt Soccer Complex walking path and footbridge, basketball courts, and the parking lot and walking trail, according to the bond ordinance.
According to the ordinance, the total amount of bonds or notes to be dedicated toward this project is $714,875. A down payment of $29,000 will cover the remaining costs of the $752,500 not covered by the bonds or notes.
A public hearing for each bond ordinance is scheduled for July 19. The committee may adopt the bond ordinances that evening.
