By Sunayana Prabhu
RED BANK – From the borough’s riverfront to its streetscapes, green spaces to manholes, residents are about to feel and see capital projects unfold all around them.
At its June 13 meeting, the governing body authorized a series of bonds for infrastructure improvements, setting the leadership’s vision for smart growth in action.
At the Thursday meeting, Susan Favate, principal from BFJ Planning consultancy, an urban planning firm that drafted the borough’s master plan two years ago, presented the council with a technical report called the Municipal Self-Assessment Report (MSAR). The MSAR is “like an executive summary of the master plan,” Deputy Mayor Kate Triggiano explained, encouraging residents to read it as a “quick guide.”
Favate explained that the MSAR seeks to align a municipality’s master plan with the State Development and Redevelopment Plan (SDRP). The 2001 state plan, currently being updated for 2025, is drafted by the New Jersey State Planning Commission (SPC). The plan guides future development, redevelopment, conservation, preservation and restoration efforts in the state while fostering economic and social prosperity at the municipal level. Local governments that try to synchronize their planning objectives with those of the state by presenting reports, such as the MSAR, have an edge over other municipalities competing to receive grant funds at any given time.
The MSAR will be submitted to the SPC for review. If approved, it will help the borough regain its expired designation as a regional center in New Jersey, which further enhances funding opportunities for smart growth.
The MSAR draft “does show that the borough’s master plan and its other relevant planning documents are generally consistent with the state plan,” Favate noted, highlighting projects such as the landfill site in Sunset Park planned as a future park, a transit village designation, and plans for a 1.5-mile riverfront promenade called Riverwalk.
At the meeting, the council unanimously allocated funds to various capital projects and set the ball rolling on infrastructure improvements, some of which had been delayed for years.
Marine Park Project
The long-awaited Marine Park project will begin in July. Jim Gant, the borough’s chief financial officer, said Precise Construction won the bid and will start working on Phase 1 in July.
For capital improvements to Marine Park, the council approved $4.25 million which includes a down payment made by the borough of $212,500. The council authorized the remaining cost in bonds.
The project calls for relocating the existing riverfront parking lot to the tennis courts damaged by Super Storm Sandy over a decade ago. This will reduce the parking area from nearly 90 to approximately 70 parking stalls. According to the concept plan developed by the Baltimore-based planning firm Kimley Horn in March 2019, the current riverfront parking lot will be replaced with an “event lawn,” described as a patch of green space that can be used seasonally as an ice rink or for community events year-round.
The event lawn will be raised by almost 2 feet and include a protective wall with seating to help defend against the impact of tidal surges and nuisance flooding in the area.
The area surrounding the event lawn will remain mostly intact with an existing riverwalk traversing the waterfront with park bench seating. The concept plans also call for a new formal entrance plaza into the park with a water feature with seating, a memorial wall and flag, and the installation of a kayak launch, among other improvements.
Count Basie Park Improvements
The council authorized an approximate $1.3 million for improvements to Count Basie Park, including replacing the decades-old home-side bleachers and adding a new press box. The amount appropriated includes a grant of $577,875 expect- ed from the New Jersey Green Acres Program. The council authorized $723,125 in bonds to finance part of the costs.
Shrewsbury Avenue Streetscapes
The council authorized $1.7 million for streetscape improvements along Shrewsbury Avenue, including a grant of $1.5 million from the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority. The council approved $200,000 in bonds to cover part of the costs. The project calls for traffic calming measures like curb extensions (bump-outs) and measures to make the road more user-friendly and easier to navigate for pedestrians, particularly children and seniors.
Roadway Improvements
Various roadway improvements are coming to all or portions of Harrison Avenue, Linden Place, Chestnut Street, Bridge Road, Drs. James Parker Boulevard, River Street, Bodman Place, Allen Place, Hubbard Park, Alston Court and Boat Club Road. The council approved a little over $2.7 million for the improvements. The amount includes a grant of just over $1 million from the New Jersey Department of Transportation and a $41,000 down payment made by the borough, which was earmarked in the budget for capital improvements. In addition, the council authorized $1,584,329 in bonds to finance part of the costs. According to the ordinance, these funds will be used for “milling, paving, reconstruction,” of drainage, inlet, manhole and water valve replacements, as well as the restoration of curbs, sidewalks, traffic line striping, driveway aprons or barrier-free ramps and intersection improvements.
Water and Sewer Utility Acquisitions and Improvements
The council authorized $3,326,702 to fund various water and sewer utility acquisitions and improvements. That includes a $959,752 U.S. Congress Grant and a $93,248 down payment made by the borough. The remaining will be covered by a $2,273,702 bond.
In other business, the council amended the borough’s cannabis ordinance to dedicate all cannabis tax revenue to Red Bank’s Parks and Recreation trust fund. Some residents were curious about the fund allocation. Council member Laura Janone said the decision was made “from a public health standpoint” to fund educational programs for the youth. Triggiano added that the council wanted to “avoid” diverting these funds to miscellaneous expenses. Allocating it to a specific fund provides transparency to the residents on how revenue is spent.
“This is an amazing meeting,” Triggiano said after the bond approvals.
The article originally appeared in the June 20 – June 26, 2024 print edition of The Two River Times.
