TOWNSHIP OF WASHINGTON, N.J.—Parking spaces at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church—at a cost of $2,500 per month—will not be needed for DPW vehicles as alternate locations were found, Mayor Peter Calamari reported at the Dec. 21 council meeting.
Such parking became a hot topic in October when the council approved the mayor executing a $60,000 annual parking agreement with OLGC, although he continued to look for low- or no-cost options.
Several council members cited the parking cost and contract provisions that required the township to snow plow, pave, and maintain the parking lot and nearby sidewalks as worrisome.
The parking is needed because the DPW facility is planned for demolition and is under state deadline to remediate contaminated soil on site by May 2021.
Calamari said Dec. 21 that up to six large DPW vehicles, such as garbage trucks and loaders, will be parked on a portion of Sherry Field, which is a permitted use under the state’s Green Acres program.
All local parks are subject to Green Acres regulations since state grant funds were accepted for improvements.
Other DPW vehicles will be stored behind Valley Bank, in its parking lot, which was offered at no cost to the township. “We appreciate their kind gesture,” Calamari said.
He said township-owned property at the end of Hudson Avenue will temporarily house two 12 foot by 24 foot residential-looking storage sheds that may remain until a new DPW building location is found.
He thanked councilman Steven Cascio for suggesting the location’s use.
Calamari said another “small piece” of township property will be used to construct a two-bay modular construction garage for DPW vehicle maintenance.
Calamari said officials were still trying to find a local site to accommodate a new DPW facility.
In our letters section on Dec. 21, Calamari pushed back against questions of ethics surrounding the township’s apparent fallback plan for the OLGC property. His father is an OLGC trustee and serves on the church finance committee. The mayor said negotiations were with the Archdiocese of Newark.