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Howell planners approve New Jersey Natural Gas training facility

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HOWELL – The Howell Planning Board has approved an application that proposed the construction of a training facility for New Jersey Natural Gas employees.

Board Chairman Robert Nash, Vice Chairman Brian Tannenhaus, Deputy Mayor Evelyn O’Donnell, who sits on the board, and board members Paul Dorato, Paul Schneider, Thomas Boyle, Robert Seaman and Robert Nicastro voted “yes” on a motion to approve the application on July 18.

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New Jersey Natural Gas (NJNG) executives identified property at 401 Fairfield Road, Howell, as a site for a training facility. The company applied for preliminary and final major site plan approval to construct a 30,000-square-foot, two-story building at the location. NJNG is the contract purchaser of the undeveloped 17-acre parcel.

The building is expected to include classrooms, testing areas, offices, storage space and an auditorium. An outdoor area is expected to be used for federally mandated operator qualification training of utility workers.

The property on Fairfield Road is in Howell’s special economic development zone and attorney Nancy Skidmore, who represented NJNG, said the proposed use is permitted in the zone.

According to a legal notice published as part of the application, training at the facility would incorporate all aspects of underground pipeline construction, pipeline integrity inspection and maintenance, and emergency response to potential gas emergencies.

Nash asked architect Stephen Radosti, who represented NJNG, what would be stored in the building.

Radosti said the building would include a bay for an emergency command vehicle and he said air compressors to be used during training exercises would be stored in the building.

NJNG project manager Brian Fitzpatrick, who has worked for the company for 39 years, told board members that “what we are proposing here has to do with something that is federally mandated for operative qualification training for workers engaged in work in public utility, gas and construction.”

He said constructing the facility in Howell would allow the utility to consolidate its training.

“Right now we are kind of broken up in a couple of locations, so by centralizing (training), it would be much improved,” Fitzpatrick said.

He described the company’s plan to construct what is being called Safety Town at the site, explaining, “It is the overall concept of not only doing classroom training, but moving out of the classroom and doing simulated field training in a controlled environment.”

“The intent is to make (Safety Town) like a real neighborhood. Sheds will duplicate homes … there will be gas service and gas appliances … The overall intent is to conduct everything that goes on in the field to be practiced at the site,” Fitzpatrick said.

As the board members prepared to vote on the proposal, Nash said, “I would like to compliment the applicant on this application. It is a beautiful project. I think it is well designed and my vote is yes.”

O’Donnell said, “This is definitely a service to the community, not only our community, but the surrounding areas. We receive it very humbly, thank you.”

The board’s unanimous vote of approval will permit NJNG to proceed with its plan for the training facility in Howell.

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