Middlesex County Improvement Authority approves RWJBarnabas parking lease, recycling contract and CME inspection work

The Middlesex County Improvement Authority on Feb. 12 approved a set of resolutions including a memorandum of understanding and lease with Robert Wood Johnson (RWJBarnabas) for spaces in the Cancer Pavilion parking garage, a three‑year curbside recycling contract, and hiring CME Associates to perform engineering review and inspections at the Hardenberg Street garage. The board voted to approve the resolutions and to pay vouchers by voice vote.

The actions matter because they affect parking availability and operations for a major hospital campus, change how curbside recycling will be delivered in participating communities, and place an independent engineering review on a newly built garage before the authority accepts the structure.

Board members heard from James Poloz, executive director of the Middlesex County Improvement Authority, and public commenter Charlie Kratoville of New Brunswick Today before voting. Poloz described the RWJBarnabas lease terms included in the draft documents and noted the authority is continuing to finalize legal language. "That is correct. It is $215 per month per space," Poloz said when asked to confirm the monthly rent per leased space. The resolution text read at the meeting lists RWJBarnabas among the parties to a memorandum of understanding and a separate lease agreement for parking spaces in the Cancer Pavilion parking garage.

The lease as discussed would cover 650 spaces for RWJBarnabas, leaving the remaining spaces for patients, visitors and the general public, Poloz said. He characterized the allocation as roughly half of the garage used by employees and the remainder for valet,…