Still no long-term plan in place for police station BY KAREN E. BOWES Staff Writer MATAWAN - Stalled redevelopment plans have put police station upgrades on the back burner, again. At the April 4 Borough Council meeting, Councilwoman Debra Buragina inquired into the status of redevelopment, asking if the redevelopment subcommittee had come to any conclusions on what should be done with the police station, a building that all agreed was in need of major repairs. "It just concerns me that we haven't had a redevelopment report and we're into April of this year and these issues are not going away," Buragina said. Back in November 2005, the state Department of Labor and Workforce discovered 19 violations at the Main Street facility, most involving the building's antiquated electrical system. Other violations were less significant, including improper exit signage and clutter near doorways. Overall, the state deemed the violations "serious," the lowest level of offense subject to fines. Still, something must be done to improve the situation, council members decided at the time. And so in late 2005 a formal request for proposals (RFPs) was conducted. But what has happened since? According to Borough Administrator Fred Carr, not much. On Monday, Carr reported that litigation over the redevelopment of the train station continues to be a stumbling block for the ailing police station. "We moved the asbestos out of there but as far as what we are doing long term for a police station, they're still wrestling with that," Carr said. "They've been wrestling with that for 15 years, probably longer." According to Carr, money remains a significant obstacle to progress. "We're talking $3 [million] or $4 million," he said. "I don't know. Just make up a number. Conservatively, you could spend $5 million on a free-standing police station." What, exactly, is wrong with the building? "Other than it's just old?" Carr said. "It's just old." He added, "It's suffering from what you might call deferred maintenance. It's just a matter of it's expensive - it's expensive to build new buildings or retrofit them. Until we have a picture of what redevelopment looks like, you can't really do anything with the police station." During the April 4 meeting, Carr reminded council members there are several options to consider for the future police station, including using the former Motor Vehicle Commission building on Route 34 or renting trailers while rehabilitating the Main Street building. But there's been "no specific forward movement about which option they would consider," Carr said at the meeting. Buragina said it is difficult for the council to make a decision regarding the future of the police department without a redevelopment plan. "Without a redevelopment plan, it's like building a home without an architectural plan," Buragina said. "I need to know what the plan is." In the absence of Councilman Michael Cannon, who heads up the subcommittee, and Mayor Mary Aufseeser, Councilman Malley conducted the meeting. Malley, a member of the redevelopment subcommittee, said the group has yet to meet or draft a plan. He added that once Cannon returned, he would make it a priority to hold a meeting. "It's all food for thought at this point," Malley said. "Everyone agrees the police department building is a disgrace at this point."