Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Use topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Local business owner warns proposed recycling facility could put 50-year marina at risk; county says it will check DEP authority
Summary
Several residents, including a marina owner, raised safety and economic concerns about a proposed Giordano recycling/entrance facility; the county said it will verify whether the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection can override a county decision and invited written materials and staff follow-up.
Andrea Davis, owner of Barber's Basin marina at 108 Tilleberg Road in Elsinore, told the Salem County Board of Commissioners that a proposed Giordano facility near her business could force the closure of her 50-year family enterprise.
"Should the Giordano plan go across the street, I will not have a business. A 50 year family business will die," Davis said during the meeting's public comment period, identifying the business and her address.
Davis asked whether the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) could overturn a county decision if commissioners denied the project. The board responded that it would check the county’s legal position.
"I believe they do, but we'll find out for sure," said Director Lawrie in response to the DEP question, and added a procedural clarification that the board acts in the county's interest rather than a single city.
The county’s administrator told Davis she and other residents could submit written materials for the board’s review; a commissioner suggested Davis meet with the county’s economic development staff to share a broader tourism- and safety-oriented plan she described.
Why it matters: The exchange highlights competing interests between proposed solid-waste or recycling facility siting and longstanding waterfront businesses. It also raises a legal and procedural question — whether state environmental permitting can override a county-level denial — that the board said it would confirm.
What was said and not decided: Davis presented a detailed personal account of Barber's Basin’s history (50 years in business) and asserted local demand for marina services. She characterized her group's plan as combining tourism, eco-friendly industry and safety research and asked the board whether a county denial could be overturned by the DEP. The board did not provide a conclusive legal ruling at the meeting but committed to follow up.
Other public comments at the meeting included a resident question about the A7 salary agreement with Rutgers Cooperative Extension. Administrator remarks clarified the county's longstanding partnership with Rutgers and that the county shares the salary cost for an extension agent.
Next steps noted in the meeting: the board said it would accept written materials from Davis and others and that at least one public hearing will be scheduled on the matter; staff recommended Davis contact the county’s economic development director and tourism staff to provide her materials and seek further input.
No formal action or vote on the Giordano proposal was recorded at this meeting.
