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Residents press for youth access as township details cleanup, construction at local recreation sites
Summary
Public commenters raised alarms about the Mini B Veil/Toth building being closed to youth while adults use the space; administration said remediation work and groundwater monitoring have begun at the site and that a sports building change order was removed from the agenda for further review.
Multiple residents urged the Edison Township Council to prioritize youth access to local recreation buildings and asked for clarity on construction and remediation work.
Joyce Shepherd Freeman described the Mini B Veil and the Toth ("Toast") building as closed and unavailable to children while adults are using the grounds, saying the loss of programming has hurt North Side youth. "That building was alive and well," Freeman said; she asked why the township appeared to be shifting resources away from youth programs. Council members asked administration to provide a list of current youth programs and confirmed the administration would follow up with the speaker.
Administration staff (Sonia) said the Mini B Veil project includes internal construction: gymnasium work, external additions and playground repairs tied to grant funding, and that the intent is to add senior space while not removing youth services. On the matter of liability for events with alcohol, staff said vendor agreements typically include hold‑harmless/indemnification clauses.
Planning and engineering staff reported additional remediation work at a municipal site requiring groundwater monitoring and other steps. Brian (CME) said a groundwater sample from an earlier change order failed and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is requiring additional monitoring; the recommended change order covers that added scope. Council asked why the monitoring was not included earlier; staff said contamination (an oil tank and associated soil issues) was discovered during construction and the team is addressing it.
Earlier in the meeting the council president announced removal of resolution 11I, described as the resolution authorizing change order #3 for public bid 23‑30‑O2R with Epic Management for the Edison Township Sports Building; Joel Bassoff later thanked the council for removing that change order but asked follow‑up questions about the remaining costs.
Next steps: administration committed to share the Mini B Veil project plans and program list, to investigate unauthorized people using closed sites, and to proceed with DEP‑required remediation and monitoring under the oversight of the project engineering teams (CME/Colliers).
