HOWELL – Howell Township Community Development staff proposed a roadwork project on Fort Plains Road with the help of two federal grants.
At a recent Township Council meeting, Director of Community Development Matthew Howard held a presentation discussing the township’s proposed plans with the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG).
The CDBG is issued by the federal government and will be administered through Monmouth County. An eligible area is usually within moderate to low-income locations in town, which is determined by the census data.
“We have not had any changes in the income eligibility areas since last year. We’ll see as the census data gets incorporated into more programs. But for now, we are working in similar areas as last year,” Howard said.
The project selected for this year is repaving and resurfacing Fort Plains Road from north of West Farms Road to north of Jerry’s Lane.
“We weren’t given too much area to work with. Most of the projects from the last several years have been within this area. We’re kind of running low on projects,” Howard said.
The proposed project will include a 2-inch mill and overlay of Fort Plains Road; minor curbing added in some areas; and improved drainage in the area of the intersection with Fort Plains Road and Arrowwood Court.
“We’re expecting to get a total grant of about $330,000. We don’t have the final amount just yet. That is combining the 2021 and 2022 grants into one project. So, we’re trying to get a little more bang for our buck here,” Howard said.
“We’re expecting the project to be somewhere between $350,000 and $400,000. The grant will be about $330,000, which will cover a significant portion of the project. So, we’re talking between $20,000 to $70,000 out-of-pocket for the township,” Howard added.
After the presentation concluded, Mayor Theresa Berger, Deputy Mayor Pamela Richmond, and council members Evelyn O’Donnell, Suzanne Brennan and John Bonevich all voiced their opinion in favor of the project.
“First of all, Matt, I think the selection of the paving is excellent. I’m happy to see us putting the monies together and getting a larger project proposed,” O’Donnell said.
No date was discussed as to when construction will start on this project once it is officially approved.
