MARLBORO – Members of the Marlboro Township Council have adopted an ordinance that appropriates a $420,236 grant for the Pleasant Valley streambank project.
Council members adopted the ordinance on Aug. 15 following a public hearing. The grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will provide funds for a streambank stabilization project on Pleasant Valley Road.
The project has been identified in Marlboro’s multi-year capital plan and officials sought funding from FEMA. The project area is on Pleasant Valley Road between Igoe Road and Route 34. Officials said the project will mitigate the potential for streambank erosion and collapse during flooding events.
The total estimated cost of the Pleasant Valley project, excluding engineering and construction management costs, is $560,315. Marlboro will be responsible for a 25% cost share under the FEMA grant program.
According to a report from Township Administrator Jonathan Capp, “The project includes construction of a steel sheeting wall along Pleasant Valley Road. The sheeting will be installed between the road and Hopp Brook.
“The sheeting is proposed to mitigate against erosion that occurs along the shoreline of the stream. The steel sheeting will be able to handle a 100-year storm and will require minimal maintenance from the township.
“Currently, erosion has scoured the bank close to the edge of the pavement. Continued scour from the stream flow will compromise Pleasant Valley Road to the point of potential collapse of the road. The project will also include the installation of guide rail along the project limits due to the unrecoverable slope and inadequate clear zone adjacent to the new sheeting.
“The sheeting is required as erosion during large rainfall events due to high water runoff velocity and volume causes washout of the road. Currently, the Department of Public Works installs rip rap (loose stone) at locations of washout which only provides a temporary mitigation to the erosion,” Capp said in the report.
In action related to the streambank project, council members rejected 10 bids that had been received from companies seeking to undertake the work. The bids ranged from $435,213 to $948,635 and Capp said the the project would be rebid.
In other business, council members authorized the submission of an application to Monmouth County for a grant from the open space trust fund.
The council will seek $250,000 to fund improvements to Nolan Road Park. The project would include replacing an existing play structure with an improved play surface; the removal and replacement of an existing softball field backstop and amenities; improvements to on-site drainage; and the installation of a perimeter fence around the fields. The estimated cost of the work is $524,000, according to a resolution. The county grant requires a match by the municipality.
Finally, the council issued an updated meeting schedule: Sept. 5 at the Marlboro Greens clubhouse, 1 Ivy Hill Drive; Oct. 3 at the Greenbriar at Marlboro clubhouse, 21 Clubhouse Lane; and Oct. 17 at the Rosemont Estates clubhouse, 246 Everton Blvd. All three meetings are open to public and are not restricted to residents of those adult communities.
