Barrington Bulletin
The most complete and most convenient source for news and information about the borough of Barrington, N.J.
Underground storage tank, $300K utility fee slow White Horse Pike project
Barrington’s long wait for construction at the former site of the Barrington Motel and the long-empty Bok Bok Fresh restaurant is going to continue for the foreseeable future, Borough Council President Kirk Popiolek told the Barrington Bulletin.
Click for detailed view of plans. Orange square at left is Super Wawa. Orange in center are Wawa gas pumps. At right is restaurant site. Entrance between gas pumps and restaurant is current Bell Avenue jughandle.
“When you think everything is a go, something always pops up,” Popiolek wrote in an email regarding when the project might begin. “So I will not be giving a date because, in all honesty, I do not know for sure. The Bok Bok will be demolished very soon (hopefully).”
Before that can happen, however, the developer will need to remove an underground storage tank it discovered and remediate any contamination. The tank was probably used by the bank that once sat on the construction site, Popiolek said.
In addition, the project ran into unforeseen costs when PSE&G said it would cost $300,000 to relocate seven utility poles and install decorative lighting to match the Clements Bridge Road lighting.
Despite these issues and continuing litigation with one of the property owners involved, Popiolek remains confident the project is in no danger of falling through.
“I can not foresee any reason why this project will fail,” he wrote. “We are too far along for failure.”
He did, however, ask for residents to continue “keeping their fingers crossed that no one else shoves their hands in our pocket.”
