What’s up this week – 10/29

Several interesting discussions occurred at the Middlesex Borough Council’s Tuesday, Oct. 24 meeting. Heather Lane concerns continued, the resignations of three Cultural and Heritage Committee members were accepted, and officials commented on the long-running unfinished status of a Union Avenue gas station.

The mayor, council and their lead staff have concluded the federal government won’t address the drastic erosion that threatens to drop two Heather Lane homes into a nearby stream. The borough is ready to use a contractor to help secure the homes on a short-term basis. State funding will be sought for a more permanent solution.

While the Heather Lane problem has been ongoing, the C&H departures became a new public issue. Surprisingly, one council member called attention to the matter, asking if an explanation had been received for the group exit. Not yet – at least not for public consumption – and the discussion figures to continue at the council’s November meeting.

The Sunoco station appears to be another one of the seemingly endless string of Middlesex oddities. A property owner gets site plan approval for a gas station overhaul, starts it, but doesn’t get some required municipal permits. So, the station is improved, but not completed. It still is not serving motorists and the situation appears to have no end in sight.

Note: Last Sunday, in What’s up this week – 10/22, we mentioned coming posts on Middlesex’s 2020 census data and litigation filed by Bound Brook business owners due to Hurricane Ida flooding. Events produced more urgent and unexpected news out of the council meeting. The census and litigation posts will be published in the future.

This week’s Inside – Middlesex agenda

Remembering political mischief – Mischief Night is a distinctly New Jersey tradition, celebrated in few other parts of the United States. Four years ago, two political pranksters set the 2019 general election’s tone as Middlesex voters chose a mayor and two council members. We’ll take a look back.

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