FREEHOLD – Borough Council members are continuing to work toward having a vacant property cleaned of contamination and developed as a small park.
On Sept. 17, Freehold Borough’s governing body conveyed declaration of a deed restriction to the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (EDA) for the Colaner property, a half-acre parcel on Throckmorton Street between West Main and South streets.
As previously reported, the Colaner property was once the location of a radiator repair shop and is now an empty lot. Officials have said an underground gasoline storage tank leaked and the contaminants found in the soil were consistent with the leak. The contaminants included benzene, toluene and xylene.
Under the deed restriction, the borough has agreed to prevent any disturbance or development of the property other than what was set forth in a remedial plan approved by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). Because the intended use of the remediated property is for recreational purposes, public access is to be permitted.
The borough has agreed to remediate the property in a timely manner consistent with the terms of the remedial plan, to retain all responsibilities and bear all costs and liabilities of any kind related to the ownership, operation, upkeep and maintenance of the property, and to use reasonable efforts to maintain the property.
The declaration of the deed restriction to the EDA follows the council’s acceptance of a $144,059 grant from the Hazardous Discharge Site Remediation Fund in 2016 to cover the costs of the investigation and action.
According to the ordinance, the DEP recommended to the EDA that Freehold Borough be awarded a grant that will pay for up to 75 percent of the remediation costs of the property, which is estimated to be at least $177,230. The DEP recommended a grant of that amount because the property will be developed as a park and the state will pay for 75 percent of the remediation costs if a site will be used for recreation or conservation.
Following the DEP’s recommendation, borough officials deemed it in the best interest of the public to enter into a declaration of a deed restriction to ensure the property is rehabilitated and reused.
The council authorized Brinkerhoff Environmental Services, which previously conducted a preliminary assessment and site investigation of the property and found underground storage tanks and petroleum contamination, to perform a remedial investigation of the Colaner property in 2017.
Councilman George Schnurr said physical work on the property is not expected to start until the beginning of 2019 at the earliest. According to Schnurr, the state has to first record the deed, a process that is expected to take several months to complete. The borough will then need to receive funds from the state before the remediation and development of the park can begin.
