No easy access

A plan to fortify the eroding stream bank beneath a pair of Heather Lane homes has been stalled – at least temporarily – by the inability to gain access to a Green Brook site needed for a staging area.

Middlesex officials gave an update on the Heather Lane situation at the Borough Council’s Tuesday, Oct. 24 meeting. They said efforts will continue to contact the Green Brook property’s owner, B & B Nurseries, and get permission to use it.

Access to the nursery property would allow for equipment and materials to be moved closer to the drastically eroding bank. The plan to temporarily fortify the area would entail the use of masonry blocks.

Officials also said the borough intends to apply for a multi-million-dollar state grant under the Resilient Communities program which is dedicated to fund unmet recovery and mitigation needs. If the grant is obtained, it would allow for a more elaborate, long-term bank strengthening project.

Municipal officials have attempted to convince the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to step in and deal with the erosion issue. They have contended that the Army Corps’ Green Brook Flood Risk Management Project has created the erosion problem, through the nearby construction of a flood wall and pumping station. Affected homeowners have said the erosion issue worsened with Hurricane Ida in 2021.

The erosion is so severe, borough officials fear two homes could fall into the nearby stream if steps are not taken to strengthen the bank beneath them.

Mayor John Madden and three other Middlesex officials held a Zoom meeting with two Army Corps officials on Oct. 12. But the Corps reps claimed the erosion issue would have existed even if the flood control project had never been undertaken.

Borough Council President Michael Conahan told colleagues that the Army Corps is “wiping its hands clean” of the Heather Lane situation. If the municipality were to litigate the matter, Conahan added, it could be tied up in court for years and legal fees “would bankrupt the borough.”

Councilman Jack Mikolajczyk said the borough “has a better chance of changing a face on Mount Rushmore” than getting the Army Corps to accept responsibility for the erosion problem.

Department of Public Works Superintendent Len Vidal said the envisioned masonry block project would take roughly two weeks to complete once access to the stream is possible.

Vidal said removal of the masonry blocks would not be required to undertake a more permanent strengthening of the stream bank.

“We’re in stabliization mode,” said Borough Administrator Michael LaPlace. “It’s like triage – stop the bleeding.”

Conahan said the owners of the two affected homes would be required to sign a hold harmless agreement, removing the borough from liability if their properties incur damage during the short-term fortification project.

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