Woodbridge unveils plan to stop 'loud and smelly' freight trails from idling in town

WOODBRIDGE – Some long-awaited peace and quiet may be coming to Port Reading neighborhoods near Conrail lines where freight trains idle for extended periods of time.

The township has filed a request with the state Department of Environmental Protection to dispose of a one-acre portion of the Green Aces-encumbered old Bowtie Pool property, now the Cypress Recreation Center, to transfer the land to Conrail for the construction of a track and two new switches, according to public documents.

"This has been on the drawing board for over a decade, and it finally has some movement," said Mayor John E. McCormac.

The construction project is intended to provide direct access between the Port Reading Secondary Line and the Garden State Secondary Line, which would eliminate the need for extended train idling times in residential areas, the documents say.

McCormac said the project involves the construction of tracks that will allow train cars to use a different route without going down a track behind homes in Port Reading where they are "loud and smelly."

More: Woodbridge unveils redevelopment plan for shuttered Catholic school

"Neighbors have had to put up with that for a long time and this project will offer some relief," the mayor said, adding the project involves eight different utilities that all have lines in the area as well as Conrail. "It's very complicated."

He said the request to the DEP is to take the property off the Green Acres inventory and replace it with other land.

As compensation for the proposed disposal, the township has acquired three replacement parcels totaling 4.9 acres which will be added to the town's recreation and open space inventory. The parcels include a portion of Spruce Street Park, a portion of Cypress Park, and a portion of a parcel connecting the Bowtie Pool property and Cypress Park.

To offset the loss of recreational amenities at the Bowtie Pool property, the township has made recreational improvements at Cypress Park, including upgrading the soccer fields, adding two new roller hockey rinks, new playground equipment, a walking path, pickleball courts and restrooms, according to the documents.

McCormac said the township is near the finish line of the approval process and will soon start the construction process which also will be complicated.

A hearing to obtain public comments on the project will be held 6 p.m., July 29 at the Woodbridge Township Administration Building. Public comments on the project will be accepted until Aug. 12.

Written comments on the disposal request may be directed to Casey Wagner, deputy business administrator at Woodbridge Township Administration Building, 1 Main St., Woodbridge, NJ 07095, or casey.wagner@twp.woodbridge.nj.us .

Copies of any comments submitted should be sent to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Office of Transactions and Public Land Administration, Public Land Compliance Section, Mail Code 401-07, 401 East State St., 7th Floor, P.O. Box 420, Trenton, NJ 08625-0420, or to PublicLandCompliance@dep.nj.gov

Email: srussell@gannettnj.com

Suzanne Russell is a breaking news reporter for MyCentralJersey.com covering crime, courts and other mayhem. To get unlimited access, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Woodbridge unveils plan to stop 'loud and smelly' freight trails from idling in town