What You Missed From This Week's Council Meeting

For those who couldn’t make it to this week’s township council meeting, there were a few interesting items that didn’t make it into a full story, but were nonetheless noteworthy. Here are a few leftover tidbits from the meeting:

• Township manager Scott Carew said it appeared as though Sambe Construction would not have to perform the rapid impact compaction at the site of the new municipal complex. The process—in which large machinery tamps down the soil at a very fast pace to increase density—was recommended by project architects after they discovered several feet of poor soil under the ground. But Carew said Sambe believes it has found an alternative method, which would be less disruptive to the surrounding neighborhood. The change is not expected to alter the cost of the project, which is priced at $11.1 million.

• Speaking of the municipal complex, Carew also said the township had been given the all clear by Brinkerhoff Environmental Services to move forward on the project. Brinkerhoff had been inspecting for contaminants because the site had previously held underground oil storage tanks. Last week, Brinkerhoff told the township no further remediation was needed. “This could have held up the whole project and cost us more money if there had been problems,” said Carew.

• Moorestown Police Sgt. Lee Lieber said he had sent a background check application to East Gate Square’s attorneys. Law enforcement must perform the check to approve East Gate for a liquor license. Township attorney Thomas Coleman said the process could take up to 60 days. East Gate submitted a proposal for a license, in which it identified the Friendly’s restaurant on Nixon Drive as the possible future site of an “American-style bistro.”

• Carew said he would begin scheduling budget workshops soon—possibly at the end of next week—and would invite councilmembers-elect Phil Garwood, Victoria Napolitano and Greg Newcomer to the meetings.

Council will hold it next regular meeting at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 17, in the IT room at Moorestown High School.