Sayreville council declines to designate historic preservation for borough firehouse; remediation plans to proceed

A motion to declare Sayreville’s municipal firehouse an official historic preservation site failed on a roll-call vote during the borough council’s February 2025 meeting, while the council and staff agreed on immediate remediation steps and a preservation planning process.

Councilwoman Novak moved to declare the firehouse a historic preservation site to access potential grants and preservation resources. "If we get $40,000, you know, that's $40,000 the residents don't have to spend," Novak said when urging the designation. Novak said creating a preservation designation would not, by itself, compel the borough to create and fund a separate historic preservation commission.

Council discussion and vote: The motion was seconded (second not specified in the transcript) and failed on a roll call. The recorded votes were: Councilwoman Novak — yes; Councilman Balca — yes; Council President Roberts — yes; Councilmember Khaleesi — no; Councilman Sonarski — no; Councilman Zabrowski — no. The motion did not receive the majority needed to carry and therefore failed.

Remediation and preservation planning: Separately, Recreation Council President Roberts and borough staff reported on an engineering and architectural walkthrough of the firehouse and an initial plan for remediation and preservation. Roberts said the exterior of the building is "largely intact" while the interior is in "deplorable condition." Roberts told the council the first work will be environmental remediation: "There will be asbestos removal. There will be lead paint abatement, and there may be other hazards." He said the architect will develop plans to preserve exterior character and design an interior that captures original architectural elements. Roberts said items inside the building will be removed by their owners under building-and-grounds supervision; after personal property removal the historic society will be offered an opportunity to identify and remove artifacts, subject to safety restrictions.

Timeline and costs: Roberts said the authorized and bid-awarded preservation project is expected to take about 12 to 18 months once work begins. He described environmental abatement as the immediate priority before allowing broader access.

Why it matters: The council’s vote halted a formal local historic designation that Novak said could open grant opportunities but would not obligate the borough to create a preservation commission. Regardless of the failed motion, the borough’s engineer and architect will advance hazardous-material abatement and preservation planning, steps that are necessary before any reuse or restoration.

What the council directed: The engineer and architect were authorized to prepare bids and specifications for remediation and abatement work; building and grounds staff will supervise removal of property by current occupants (including Civil Air Patrol and Coast Guard Auxiliary items); the historic society was told it will be allowed to review and collect artifacts after safety measures are completed.

Ending: The council’s discussion maintained a distinction between declaring a site for preservation (which would have required formal action that failed) and proceeding with remediation and preservation planning to make the building safe and to preserve historic elements where feasible.