Sayreville voters may decide fate of one of NJ's most endangered historic places
SAYREVILLE – The Borough Council is expected to consider a resolution that would put a non-binding referendum on the November ballot for the preservation of the Old Fire House next to the Municipal Building on Main Street.
The Council voted 4-2 against a resolution last week that would have designated the building a Historic Municipal Landmark.
Mayor Kennedy O'Brien told the Sayreville Historical Society, which is leading the preservation effort, a referendum would let residents decide on funding to the project.
"I still think it's a good idea and then all the facts will come out, the plan will come out, the costs will come out and people can decide," O'Brien said.
The mayor said the building has foot of water in the basement and may have lead pipes and asbestos, while adding obtaining a certificate of occupancy could be $2 million.
O'Brien indicated fixing roads and a declining Department of Public Works building are higher priorities to borough taxpayers.
Historical Society Trustee Arthur Rittenhouse said borough officials opposing the designation are “uninformed."
"If it became a state or national landmark then the building could stay the same," he said. "It would not have to meet Americans with Disabilities Act requirements."
Rittenhouse added the Historical Society is not asking for any money.
"We came up here asking for that local designation to keep our heritage," he said. "We're not in a battle over the roads. We're in a battle to keep our town's history.”
Councilmembers Dan Balka and Christian Onuoha voted in favor of the designation, while Michael Colaci, Stanley Synarski, John Zebrowski and Council President Donna Roberts voted against.
Frank Terzino Sr., president of the Sayreville Historical Society, also urged the Council to authorize the designation.
"I know we submitted a plan," Terzino said. "It's a long plan. There's a lot involved. Last meeting it was requested, and we delivered. As you know, our duty is to protect, preserve the past to serve the future and we're doing that."
The Historical Society is working with Preservation New Jersey on the plan, Terzino said.
"We can revitalize it," he said. "We can do some really good stuff. It can be anything. It can be a joint community project. It's worth it."
Terzino, who was a civil engineer in the U.S. Air Force, said the building has some rough spots, but it's all fixable. It's a solid building, he said.
Council President Roberts made a motion to exclude the resolution from the consent agenda for a separate vote.
"The reason I'm excluding that is not to say no completely to our history," she said. "I think that's important. I do however have concerns about the project plan."
She said she did not see information about costs and funding.
"My understanding is that if we move forward with this resolution tonight that the building is protected, and if it falls down tomorrow we would be responsible as a borough to have to pay for it to be restored to the historic version of it, and I have too many questions right now to pass it at this point."
Councilmember Synarski said he recently visited the building, was surprised at its condition and doesn't want anyone inside, adding the cost for the cleanup must be astronomical.
"It gets to a point where the cost of something versus what we're going to get out of that building, I'm not sure of yet," he said.
Terzino said the Historical Society would use the next couple of months to get everyone's questions about the destination answered.
Email: sloyer@gannettnj.com
Susan Loyer covers Middlesex County and more for MyCentralJersey.com. To get unlimited access to her work, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Sayreville NJ voters may decide fate of historic Old Fire House
