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Thursday, September 13, 2007

BAYSHORE REGIONAL WATERSHED COUNCIL

 

MINUTES

 

Thursday, September 13, 2007

Keyport Borough Hall

7:30pm – 9:30pm

  

Attendance:

Lou Andreuzzi (Union Beach)

Christine Balint (Aberdeen)

Cynthia Bianchi (Leonardo Citizens Committee)

Valerie Craig (Middletown)

John Curran (HAQLA/Hazlet)

Fran Donnelly (Hazlet)

Chris Francy (Highlands)

Frank Huza (Aberdeen Environmental Board)

Zina Gamuzza (Chief of Staff for Assemblywomen Amy Handlin)

Michael Lane (Keyport)

Bob Ludwig (Keyport EC, BDA)

Bill McFarland (Holmdel Township)

Michele Pezzullo (Highlands)

Joe Reynolds (Atlantic Highlands)

Steve Taylor (Middletown Township)

Anna Will (Clean Ocean Action)

 

AGENDA

 

1)      Flat Creek NJDEP Project Grant Status

On Wednesday, September 12, inside Hazlet Town Hall, Bill McFarland and Joe Reynolds met with both Township Administrators of Hazlet and Holmdel, along with the DPW supervisor of Hazlet and Ann Water of the Monmouth County Planning Board to determine the final portion of the Flat Creek Action Now grant from NJDEP. It was agreed by all parties that the remaining $45,000 of the grant will go towards the installation of 5 storm drain filters in Holmdel and 5 storm drain filters in Hazlet. All 10 filters will be located near Flat Creek, and Hazlet Township will locate their filters near Middle Road, but just upstream from the Police Station. In addition, any remaining funds will go towards the creation of an environmental education component on nonpoint source pollution reduction for property owners along waterways. Ann Waters agreed to contact NJDEP to get pre-approval for this option.

 

2)      Preservation of Van Mater Homestead in Hazlet

  Both Lou Andreuzzi and John Curran thanked watershed members for their quick, timely help and advice in trying to preserve the Van Mater Homestead. In addition, special thanks went to Assemblywomen Amy Handlin and her staff for their help and time in this important preservation effort. However, as stressed by Lou Andreuzzi, the property is not preserved yet, and much more work needs to be done. On Friday, August 10th, Lou Andreuzzi received word that the current owner of the Van Mater Homestead was going to request a permit from Hazlet Township to demolish the structure on site. Word of this activity was spread via the watershed’s email list for help and advice to try to preserve this oldest building and related site in Hazlet Township, which dates back as a working agriculture farm to the 1800s.

 

Work is now being concentrated in talking with the Mayor and council of both Hazlet and Union Beach in trying to preserve this site, and to locate antiquated maps of Hazlet Township that might show waterways as they were configured before large-scale land transformation activities.

 

3)      NY-NJ HEP Water Access Grant for Cliffwood Beach

The BRWC still has not received word that our grant application for $200.00 to have a public event at Cliffwood Bach in May 2008 was approved or not. Nevertheless, plans are still going forward to conduct a public beach event that will celebrate access to the bay and outdoor recreation adjoining the water.

 

4)      Bayshore Regional Dredged Material Mgmt. Plan

There will be a workshop meeting of all participants on Wednesday, September 19th, 5pm, inside Clean Ocean Action headquarters, Fort Hancock section of Sandy Hook. Steve Taylor mentioned that he has submitted his first invoice and is working with HAQLA to get it through the NJDOT system.

 

5)      Atlantic Highlands Environmental Political Action Committee

Joe Reynolds reported that he,, Paul Boyd, Benson Chilies, and several other residents of Atlantic Highlands are in the process of starting a political action committee (PAC) that will focus on funding candidate(s), not political parties, that show a strong desire to protect and preserve the environment in the borough. The name of the group will be called” “Atlantic Highlands Neighbors for the Environment.”  For more information, check out their blog website at http://neighborsfortheenvironment.blogspot.com/

 

6)      Climate Change Forum at Brookdale Community College

On Wednesday, October 10th, from 7-10pm, at Brookdale Community College there will be a free, public forum on global climate change and how it will impact Monmouth County. All BRWC members are encouraged to attend.

 

7)      Waackaack Creek Watershed Restoration

No new information to report

 

8)      Bayshore Pump-out Boat

No new information to report

 

9)      Highlands – Sea Bright Bridge

Joe Reynolds distributed a letter he submitted on behalf of the BRWC to NJDOT to urge for an in-depth environmental review of the destruction of the Highlands-Sea Bright bridge, which is proposed to be replaced with a higher and steeper new fixed-span bridge. Some of the issues raised in the letter ask how will the removal of a 75-year-old structure affect water quality, especially from the re-suspension of toxic material from the bottom of the Shrewsbury River, how will the storage noise, and lights of commercial and industrial equipment at the entrance of Sandy Hook for three years impact threatened species of bird life along or near the beach, and how will stormwater issues be addressed once the new bridge is completed.