At the Tuesday, May 23 council meeting, council addressed improvements to the township’s sewer system, roadways, tennis courts and fueling facilities.
Burlington Township’s council passed ordinances at the Tuesday, May 23 meeting for capital improvements to an aging sewer system, outdated roadways, unused tennis courts and the township’s fueling facilities.
Township administrator Walter Corter said with all of the ordinances for capital improvements having passed, the township is waiting for bonding, which should come through within the next 60 days.
At last Tuesday’s meeting, council passed two bond ordinances appropriating $275,000 for sewer capital improvements as well as a bond ordinance for $850,000 for the rehabilitation of the sanitary sewer system in the Springside area. Rather than undergo a costly replacement of all of the township’s aging piping, sections of the current pipes will be replaced and realigned, ensuring the sewer system remains viable for another 30 to 40 years.
Council also passed a bond ordinance appropriating $350,000 to the 2017 Road Programs. The funds will address potholes and cracks in some of the town’s aging developments, with work on the roadways beginning in either late spring or early fall.
Additionally, the township passed a bond ordinance for capital improvements appropriating $1,672,000 and authorizing $1,588,400 in bonds or notes, the majority of which will be used to replace the township’s fueling facility that is more than 40 years old.
The township’s recreation department has also applied for a Burlington County Municipal Park Improvement grant to update and repurpose the underutilized tennis courts at Green Acres Park. The plan is to use the $250,000 grant to remove some of the courts and rehab the ones that do get used.
Corter said recreation director Dianne Flannery wants to ask residents what they’d like to see happen to the courts that are demolished before undergoing work on the project. Corter said he anticipates these discussions happening with residents over the next three months.
In executive session following the open council meeting, Corter said council was approached by Matrix Development Group based out of Cranbury. He said the group is proposing redeveloping the old pipe foundry that straddles Burlington City and Burlington Township.
“There’s nothing aesthetically pleasing about [foundries], and they’re harsh on the environment,” Corter said.
Corter said the idea was well-received as the company proposed to clean up the site and build a warehouse that will turn the property “green.”
“Aesthetically and operationally, it’ll be a clean operation,” Corter said.
Matrix Development Group will have to go in front of both the Burlington Township and Burlington City planning boards before any work can begin at the site.
The next council meeting will be Tuesday, June 6 at 7 p.m. at the Burlington Township municipal building.
