Wood-Recycling Hearing Yields No Air Studies, No Traffic Studies in Marlboro

Noise pollution, air quality, odor and traffic were all on the minds of residents packed into Town Hall last Thursday, but Atlantic Tree Realty didn't come with the answers.

A proposed wood-recycling facility on Tennent Road, just down the road from the Marlboro Early Learning Center, is being contested by Marlboro residents and local officials.

At a public hearing held by the Monmouth County Solid Waste Advisory Council in Marlboro on Feb. 28, Atlantic Tree Realty gave a formal presentation to county officials.

But when members of SWAC questioned whether or not traffic studies had been conducted, or air quality estimates been gathered, Atlantic Tree Realty said they hadn't come prepared for that.

"Those are things we can certainly get to you," a representative for the company said. "We came here tonight to find out what you need."

But Marlboro Mayor Jon Hornik said not only should Atlantic Tree Realty have come before the local zoning board, it should have also come to the February public hearing prepared.

"You can't appear before one of our boards without [those studies]," Hornik said. "The process is flawed, that they can come before the SWAC and avoid local review on such an important issue."

The facility is a Class B recycling facility, and procedure dictates Atlantic Tree Realty has the right to apply to the county SWAC and Board of Chosen Freeholders over a municipal board.

The wood-recycling facility proposes a 200-ton limit per day, which could mean 10 to 40 truck loads per day. Wood unloaded would be ground in the back of the facility, double-mulched into two piles and in some cases color-dyed, according to Atlantic Tree Realty's proposal.

Council President Frank LaRocca, who also spoke during the public portion of the meeting, said 40 truck loads daily is really double the amount, when considering trips to and from the facility.

"This is across the street from a working farm," LaRocca said. "This is in very close proximity to our water storage facility. And this is practically across the street from our kindergarten."

Officials from the company said there will be no runoff of the dyed mulch, and it does not seep into the ground. According to Atlantic Tree Realty, there are no harmful effects from the dye, which is used to lighten or darken mulch for residential use.

Atlantic Tree Realty did come prepared with a list of 22 commercial properties within a one-mile radius of the proposed facility. The list included Morganville First Aid, the Marlboro Township Municipal Water Utility storage center, Lucas Brothers Concrete Recycling and the Marlboro Airport, which has been closed since 2002.

"Let's list the kids that go to [MELC] every day, let's list the every family that's here tonight that wants their house protected and wants their health protected," LaRocca said.

SWAC members also questioned the company about possible odor issues and the impact on nearby residences.

"We did not prepare an air quality expert as a part of this initial meeting," Atlantic Tree Realty's lawyer said. "I understood as part of the procedure that there would be several questions you would ask, and that most likely there would be a second meeting where we would provide additional information to all questions that come up."

SWAC board members raised concerns of truck traffic on the narrow Tennent Road, especially at times with added school bus traffic.

Noise and air pollution studies, according to Atlantic Tree representatives, would be included in the facility's Department of Environmental Protection application.

Atlantic Tree Realty said the business would be open from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday with the grinder running from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Council Vice President Randi Marder, who spoke during the meeting's public comments section, said she doesn't believe Tennent Road can handle the proposed volume of truck traffic.

"We use Tennent Road to get to a lot of places in town," Marder said. "I don't think it can handle this kind of traffic, with these kinds of trucks."

Hornik appealed to SWAC through his speech, asking the board not to let Atlantic Tree Realty "usurp" the Marlboro Zoning Board.

"Have them come back to the local Zoning Board. Have them, through a proper review like any other project in this town...I assure you, they would not be sitting in front of any board in my town [without] all the things that matter to every person in this town."

After gathering all information, such as traffic and air studies, SWAC can make a decision to forward the application to the Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders for further approval or rejection.