Cinnaminson Eyes Changes After Roadwork Mix-Up

Cinnaminson officials are reexamining the township’s permitting process after a major project floated under the radar and caused a minor snafu recently.

New Jersey American Water (NJAW) replaced a 1.2-mile long section of water main on Wayne Drive and Winding Brook Drive last month, along with several hydrants, Mayor Ben Young explained during a committee meeting Monday. The company filed the proper paperwork with the township and received the necessary permits, but the scope of the project and its potential impact on nearby residents slipped past township employees.

As a result, the roadwork caused minor headaches for at least one resident—who contacted township officials, including Committeeman John McCarthy, to complain—and led to other inconveniences, including work starting at 7 a.m. on a Saturday morning (township code restricts any construction from commencing before 9 a.m. on weekends) and a gas leak that went initially unreported.

“Nobody ever picked up on the fact that this was a big project,” said Young. “The ball was totally dropped internally. Communication just collapsed.”

Typically, projects of this scope are preceded by pre-construction meetings—which involve a number of township officials, including the engineer and public works director—and out of those meetings both sides (the township and the utility company/contractor) take steps to guide the process along smoothly, Young explained.

“There’s a whole set of notifications that, because this (project) was dropped in a file, didn’t happen,” he said.

Young didn’t direct blame at NJAW—which he said did its job—nor did he fault the township clerk’s office, which received and processed the paperwork for the project. The problem, according to Young and others, including new township administrator Mickey King, is the process itself.

Presently, projects which require road permits are filed with the clerk. Young believes the township would be better served if they went through Public Works.

“We are the people that are responsible for the roads,” he said.

And every major project should be preceded by a pre-construction meeting, so the proper township officials are aware of what’s going on.

McCarthy thanked the resident who contacted him for initially bringing the matter to the township’s attention.

According to Young, this was an isolated incident. Most projects are properly vetted before they begin.

“This is why it got everybody’s attention. Because it’s the first time it happened,” he said. “This can’t happen again.”