South River Metals site to include public senior center

ABERDEEN — Plans to redevelop the township's South River Metals site on Church Street will be finalized by the end of 2009, according to township officials.

At the Oct. 20 Township Council meeting, David J. Samuel, township engineer and managing partner of CME Associates, announced the PRC Group, of West Long Branch, selected Pennrose Properties, of Philadelphia, as its new co-developer for the property.

Both companies have agreed on a plan to build two structures on the former industrial site — an affordable senior community and a larger on-site recreation center to serve all township seniors.

The proposal would include 198 senior apartments, along with the community senior center and an outdoor recreation area for the former industrial site.

Samuel said the developers agreed to create a 5,000- to 7,500-square-foot recreation center for seniors and a handicapped-accessible walkway from the site to Route 34.

Access to local businesses and NJ Transit bus stops would be provided for residents.

"The original redevelopment project was approximately proposed three years ago," Samuel said. "It is planned to have access ways and walkways that would allow movement to public transportation."

Samuel said the senior housing complex would also comply with the township's COAH (Council on Affordable Housing) agreement.

The previous redevelopment plan called for a 3,000-square-foot senior recreation facility. Based on suggestions from the township, the developers decided to expand the square footage.

"I think it will benefit the community by providing the needed affordable units to go through and support the senior community," Samuels said. "It is a priority, and we want to get it to the Planning Board by the end of the year."

In March, the township received a $402,259 state grant to fund a remedial environmental investigation led by Icon Engineering, the environmental division of CME Associates Inc.

This month, the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) approved methods for cleaning up contaminants on the site. The methods were outlined in a remediation plan submitted to the state agency in January.

The environmental cleanup would commence once several other issues raised by the DEP are addressed, Samuel explained in a township press release.

The soil, groundwater, sediment and surface water sampling and laboratory analysis for the investigation have been completed.

"These are not insurmountable issues," Samuel said in a statement. "Fortunately, most of the funds for this additional work are available from [the state's Hazardous Discharge Site Remediation Fund] grants. With the major component of our cleanup approved and these two other issues clearly identified, this provides us the direction to move the project forward."

However, Mayor David Sobel, Councilman Thomas Perry and mayoral candidate Fred Tagliarini questioned why the DEP response has been long overdue.

"This is an important project to the township, especially to the senior citizens," Sobel said. "I want to clarify why there has been a delay in movement."

Samuel responded and estimated the cleanup would be completed by the end of the year.

"There is no doubt that the time they took to respond to our submission was excessive," Samuels said. "The delays were associated with organizational changes at DEP that impacted many other sites throughout the state. We are hopeful that the approval process will be swifter going forward."

Township Manager Joseph Criscuolo noted that Pennrose's projects include two affordable communities in Old Bridge.

"They have been very successful," Criscuolo said. "I think it's important that we have a developer that understands the issues. We need to continue to call the DEP on a regular basis and check the status."

Criscuolo and Samuel have also worked to discuss the needs of the community, specifically providing seniors with recreational activities.

"When talking about the square footage, I do have some experience with some senior centers and the activities," Criscuolo said. "They might want a game room, card tables and a pool table. There can also be a craft room so people can do arts and crafts."

He also explained the Nintendo Wii video game system is also popular among seniors.

"This way, they can have bowling, tennis and golf," he said.

Criscuolo also would like to implement an Aberdeen Meals on Wheels program through the state or county if the building is approved.

"I am very excited they [the developers] agreed to supply us with the additional space," he said. "The original plan would have been a third of the size. In conversations with the developers, [it was explained what] would meet the needs of the residents and they were responsive to that."

Sobel said a suggestion area should be created on the township website for seniors to express their opinions about what they would like to see in the buildings.

Pricing for the rental units have not been quoted yet, Samuel explained, but the township will provide updates if the Planning Board approves the project.

The former steel and plating plant site is considered to be a brownfield, according to the DEP. A brownfield is "any former or current commercial or industrial site that is currently vacant or underutilized and on which there has been, or there is suspected to have been, a discharge of a contaminant."

According to the township's November 2008 Housing Plan Element and Fair Share Plan, prepared by Township Planner Coppola & Coppola Associates, Princeton Junction, the redevelopment site was acquired by the town via foreclosure in July 2001.