Toms River parking garage safe? $500K repairs canceled, mayor says just paint job needed
TOMS RIVER - Was the Township Council smart — or shortsighted — when it canceled a contract to repair and paint the parking garage?
That's the argument on the table as Mayor Daniel Rodrick touts canceling the contract as a money saver.
The council voted 5 to 2 to cancel a $500,000 contract with Brave Industrial Paint LLC, the low bidder on the project. The contract was awarded by the previous council last year, and Rodrick said it will be rebid.
"We believe half a million dollars is too much to paint the building, and it doesn’t need to be painted," Rodrick said.
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Councilman James Quinlisk said there was an engineer's report indicating some structural issues with the building, which is located behind town hall and the Ocean County Library. He voted against rescinding the contract, as did Councilman David Ciccozzi.
"It sounds like you are protecting a friend," Rodrick said to Quinlisk. "Who are you protecting who was getting half a million dollars? Sounds like you are protecting a contractor."
Quinlisk said he had no connection to Brave Industrial Paint, which is located in Long Branch.
"The garage clearly has some issues," Quinlisk said.
Ciccozzi, who took a series of photos of the parking deck that appeared to show water damage, said he is concerned that the deck could suffer a structural failure if it's not repaired.
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Rodrick said engineering firm CME Associates is "taking a look at" the parking garage to see what repairs are needed.
"It's going to be repaired," the mayor said. "We're not going to pay $500,000 to paint the parking lot."
The parking garage, built in 1977, was refurbished in 2011, with a metal roof placed on the structure. A 2019 report on the parking deck by Maser Consulting found the garage to be "structurally sufficient," but pointed out several deteriorating areas in the concrete, mostly caused by water damage.
The garage is used for Ocean County Library parking, and parking for Toms River's municipal building and other downtown businesses.
Timber guardrails were found to be rotted or deteriorated; and concrete filler joints were cracked in some places and had worn thin in others. Rebar inside the concrete had rusted and was rotting, probably due to water infiltration, Maser found.
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"Based on our office's noted observations of the parking garage levels and retaining wall, it is our office's opinion that the deterioration observed has been caused by general wear and tear and water damage," the report states. "However, at this time, the deterioration has not caused significant structural damage to the parking garage levels and retaining walls, but if left untreated, the deterioration may further expand and cause structural damage."
Maser, now owned by Colliers Engineering, recommended that floor drains, pipes and steel be repainted every five to 10 years. It is not clear when painting was last done at the deck.
Chunks of concrete have recently fallen from the garage on the bottom and middle levels.
The garage is operated by the Toms River Parking Authority, an independent agency, but it is owned by the township and any repairs are Toms River's responsibility.
Jean Mikle covers Toms River and several other Ocean County towns, and writes about issues related to Superstorm Sandy. She's also passionate about the Shore's storied music scene. Contact her: @jeanmikle, jmikle@gannettnj.com.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Toms River parking garage $500K repair killed; mayor prefers paint job
