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Residents press council on Old Frenchtown Field use, soil study and event impacts
Summary
Approval for a bi-monthly farmers market at Old Frenchtown Field prompted resident concerns about noise, trash, parking and past contamination; council said a subsurface investigation and LSRP review are underway and the field remains open pending professional review.
The council's conditional approval of the River Harvest farmers market to use Old Frenchtown Field for May'November prompted questions from nearby residents about noise, trash, parking and potential contamination.
A resident urged the council to consider trash receptacles and portable toilets because the market could bring 100'400 visitors across an extended season; council staff and the applicant said vendors will bring and remove trash receptacles and that the applicant is working on parking plans that could include use of the school lot.
Residents asked about previous concerns and whether soil samples had been taken. A borough representative said no soil samples had been collected yet but that the town had commissioned a ground-penetrating radar subsurface investigation and that a licensed site remediation professional (LSRP) is reviewing historical documents and site conditions in coordination with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. The representative said the field is not closed and that there is no known direct-contact exposure at the surface.
Why it matters: The market will place frequent community activity in a residential area; neighbors want clarity about environmental safety, traffic and waste management before sustained operations begin. Council staff said they would follow up with a report from the engineering firm and the LSRP and that event approval is conditional on insurance and logistics.
Next steps: Applicant to provide insurance and final logistics; engineering and LSRP review to be finalized and reported to the council.
