TOWNSHIP OF WASHINGTON—Township Administrator Bob DiCarlo told council March 23 that a recently announced $600,000 federal grant for Musquapsink Brook streambank restoration is part of more than $1.1 million in grants received, pending, or applied for by the township over the past year.
DiCarlo said the Community Project Funding grant, secured through Rep. Josh Gottheimer’s office, will help pay for repairs along the brook, including shoal removal, bank erosion repairs, and stabilization of exposed sanitary line manholes.
He thanked Gottheimer and township grant writer David Biunno of GLID Associates for helping secure the funding.
A contract for the brook work is expected to be awarded April 6 to Downes Tree Service, the lowest responsible bidder, at $669,280. The project would stabilize streambanks near two severely eroded concrete sanitary manholes.
DiCarlo also said the township is working with the Rutgers University Water Resources Program on Phase 2 of a state-mandated Watershed Improvement Plan due to NJDEP by Jan. 1, 2027. He estimated the partnership could save taxpayers between $10,000 and $50,000.
Among pending applications, DiCarlo listed $153,550 for a Memorial Field walking path through the 2026 Local Recreation Improvement Grant program; $80,000 in county Open Space funds for improvements at Memorial and Clark, including ADA-compliant playground upgrades, seating, ramps, and parking; and $182,320 through the federal Assistance to Firefighters Grant program for a mass notification system.
Other grants in progress include $19,600 in county Community Development Block Grant funds for ADA improvements at the library area, $10,370 from Firehouse Subs for a fire training prop door, and a $15,000 Recreational Opportunities for Individuals with Disabilities grant application.