Committee Approves Rezoning of Property for New Power Plant

The Township Committee approved a zoning change amendment as per the to rezone the property behind Oyster Creek Generating Station for the potential construction of a new plant.

With the closure of Oyster Creek set for 2019, rezoning the property owned by Jersey Central Power & Light is a priority to updating the township Master Plan, a guiding document on land use and development.

“This is really a follow up to what Mr. Most is working on, trying to get the piece of property into the right situation be able to market it,” Committeeman Gary Quinn said.

The property will be rezoned from a M6 zone to the M100 zone—one of the first steps moving forward towards a new facility, Committeeman David Most said.

In May, the Township Committee awarded a contract to Birdsall Engineering to do a  to be built in Lacey upon Oyster Creek’s closure.

Birdsall is performing a feasibility study for $22,500. The study will provide an assessment of existing conditions, development constraints and permitting requirements at 798 South Main St.

The current Master Plan does not encompass that property, Committeeman David Most previously said.

The township is seeking to  on that property once  but currently, it is not zoned for that purpose, Quinn previously said.

Once the property is zoned properly, the township can begin the permit process with the Department of Environmental Protection and other agencies, Most had said.

The feasibility study is winding down, he said. Once it does, the township can set up a meeting with the state.

“I’m very encouraged by what’s going on with the state,” Most said. “Our ultimate goal is to make these CAFRA industrial notes in the future.”

The more steps that are completed, such as properly zoning the property, the more likely the township could gain support from primary stakeholders, Quinn previously said.

A new generation facility is just a conceptual plan right now, Most said in May. The loss of Oyster Creek will create a base load generation and economical gap.

“We’re moving forward with this and I’m happy with the success rate and the other towns that have wrote letters and I appreciate everyone’s cooperation,” Most said.

In other news at the meeting... 

Police Security Upgrades

The committee authorized the receipt of bids for fence material for police security upgrades.

In March, during the municipal budget process, Police Chief William Nally presented capital requests, which included fencing around the department’s parking lot.

“It secures some of the property,” Township Administrator Veronica Laureigh said.

Laureigh added that the area is high in traffic and the fencing will protect police property as well as the privacy of those arrested.

There are even individuals who have sat in the parking lot with binoculars to see what’s going on at the police department, Laureigh said in March, when the committee agreed to the fencing.

“I think it’s important to enclose that area and make it more secure for the police to do the job they need to do,” she said then.

Nally said the police department had to put it off for five years due to budget constraints and is hoping the township could use manpower from the public works department. 

“If you get a cup of coffee over there in the morning, there’s absolutely no privacy. It’s a problem,” he said in March.

Road Projects

The committee authorized the receipt of bids for three road projects that will be partially funded by grants.

The resolutions authorize the township to move forward with bid specifications for the 2012 CDBG Grant Project, the 2012 Municipal Aid Department of Transportation Grant Project and the 2011 Municipal Aid Department of Transportation Grant Project.

The CDBG grant will cover the Williams to Vaughn road project, which is estimated at $234,000 with a $32,000 grant. The 2011 Municipal Aid DOT grant is for Laurel Boulevard, $420,600 with a $200,00 grant. The 2012 Municipal Aid DOT grant covers the Lakeside North to Lakeside Drive South Project, $445,990 with a $250,000 grant.

The committee agreed to the grants during the budget process in March. The DOT will have to review the bid specs before the township authorizes advertising to bid for the projects, Laureigh said.

For more information on the Laurel Boulevard project,

For more information on the Lakeside Drive South project,

In April,

Nursing Home Demolition

The committee authorized the receipt of bids for the demolition of the old nursing home in Lacey as well as approving the subdivision of the lot.

The demolition of the nursing home was included in Public Works Director Casey Parker’s project requests during the budget process in March.

“We have a nursing home here. Right now it’s really starting to show signs of failure. It’s really something we need to address and take care of,” he said then. “We’ve had a lot of people in the past scrapping and doing things they shouldn’t be. It’s not going to go away. We need to remove it at some point in time." 

The subdivision will enable the township to use the land for a future affordable housing site, to develop or to sell for commercial sites, Laureigh said.

The fund that would be used to subdivide the lot will come out of the township’s designated Affordable Housing Trust Fund Spending Plan, she said.

Please return to Lacey Patch for more information on this project in the future.