Officials want to to construct their own building; neighbors aren’t happy
NORTHFIELD — Atlantic County has applied to the Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Land Resource Protection, for authorization to build a 10,000-square-foot warehouse and training building on county property off Dolphin Road.
County Administrator Jerry DelRosso said furniture, computers and other equipment was being stored in about 5,000 square feet of the building that houses voting machines and the headquarters of the superintendent of elections. The county was forced to lease warehouse space after purchasing new machines that allow early voting and determined that building a warehouse would be a better option.
“We decided that we would build our own warehouse on the property there,” he said.
The facility would be built directly in front of the existing building, just off Dolphin Avenue.
DelRosso said part of the building would be used as a training facility for law enforcement personnel, something that currently takes place.
He said about 2,500 square feet is needed for training, leaving 7,500 square feet for storage and facilities management.
Dolphin Avenue resident Joan Pullan Brennan said it already is dangerous, with county vehicles constantly speeding down the road and that the warehouse would exacerbate the problem.
“The amount of traffic, the dumptrucks, the trucks … the intersection is awful, no parking,” Brennan said. “It’s a bad experience enough. This is not a good scenario at all.”
DelRosso said no additional traffic would be generated by the new facility, which would be designed to blend in with the residential surroundings.
A public comment period began April 20 and will continue through May 19.
Written comments on the proposals, which can be viewed at the City Clerk’s Office or by appointment at the DEP’s office in Trenton, should be mailed to NJDEP, Division of Land Resource Protection, PO Box 420, Mail Code 501-02A, Trenton NJ 08625-0420, Attn: City of Northfield Bureau Chief. A copy also must be sent to Amy Jones, 190 N. Main St., Manahawkin, NJ 08050.
DelRosso said the design is nearly complete and he expects to solicit bids in about 90 days. He noted the original cost estimate and a recent one are “miles apart” and that the county would not build if the bids all came in too high.
DelRosso said the county would self-fund the project.
“We do a lot of that in our budget and try to self-fund as much as possible so there is no debt,” DelRosso said.
He said construction would take nine months to a year.
By CRAIG D. SCHENCK/Sentinel staff