Government

Brick Files For State Approval of Major Overhaul of Public Works, Recycling Center

by
Daniel Nee
October 28, 2025

The Brick Township Public Works and recycling facility at Ridge Road, Oct. 2025. (Photo: Shorebeat)

Brick Township officials have taken a major step in the process of overhauling the recycling center and public works facility on Ridge Road.

Earlier this month, the township filed for an individual permit to complete the work in accordance with the state’s Coastal Areas Facilities Review Act, commonly known as CAFRA. The permit is required in coastal areas of the state in order to add an extra layer of protection for the environment, and requires various studies, engineering work, reviews by state officials, and the consideration of public comment. While the plan is contained within a dozen technical documents, its overall scope is articulated for the first time in an official capacity.

Earlier this year, township officials announced the plan to make major upgrades at the facility at the time of the introduction of the annual capital budget. The township council set aside $2.2 million that will fund the site work required for future construction, and the design and engineering of a new Public Works building that would upgrade the half-century-old existing structure. It also covers the cost of replacing all of the fuel tanks at the site. In June, the council awarded a $1,072,610 contract to E.O. Habhegger Company, of Hammonton, for the tank replacements.

The CAFRA application contains the details of the larger plan for the 46.29-acre Public Works facility, which requires strict environmental monitoring since it is located just 0.4 miles from the Manasquan River. The site slopes downward – north to south – towards the river in elevation ranging from 120 feet to 75 feet, with some of the topography having been influenced by the activities on the property. It is colloquially known by many as “The Hill.”

The Brick Township Public Works and recycling facility at Ridge Road, Oct. 2025. (Photo: Shorebeat)

According to the application submitted to the state Department of Environmental Protection, the planned development is to make improvements to the existing site, including construction of a new 31,000 square foot Public Works building to replace the existing 25,000 square foot building, construction of additional storage buildings and support buildings, construction of a salt storage building, relocating material storage areas, redefining parking areas, and a new residential waste drop off area. New stormwater management systems, paving, curbing, and “associated development” are also proposed.

The details of the project, according to engineering plans, including the creation of a new tree line to replace the current tree line, and the demolition of the main public works building as well as the graded area where concrete walls border industrial containers that are used to collect drop-off materials from residents, from furniture, to electronics, to any other conceivable item that is not environmentally hazardous. The windrows, lines of vegetative material such as leaves and compost, at the site will also be removed and relocated to a new area in the future. Gravel access roads will replace some of the muddy areas adjacent to the windrows. A police firing range located at the site will remain, though it will be improved with its own safe parking area.

The Brick Township Public Works and recycling facility at Ridge Road, Oct. 2025. (Photo: Shorebeat)

From Ridge Road, vehicles entering will eventually see the modern Public Works building near the northwest corner of the site, as opposed to its current location roughly in the middle. The 31,000 square foot building will stand 21-feet tall, and include a two-story office to complement the industrial uses in the rest of the structure. The 4,800 square foot office space as well as three work bays will be located south of the main building. Parking, now located in front of the facility close to the Ridge Road entrance, will be relocated behind the main building.

The residential recycling area will remain in its current location, but will be redesigned for easier and safer access. The windrow area will also remain – roughly – in its present position, though an 8,600 square foot equipment storage building will be constructed between the residential recycling area and the windrows. The site will include a 12-by-12 foot structure to support electric vehicle charging, including a transformer, and brine storage tanks will be located east of the windrows. The far eastern portion of the property will host a landscaped “environmental learning area.” Retention basins will be located toward the northern portion of the site.

Plans for a new recycling yard on Ridge Road in Brick Township, N.J. (Planning Document)

The Brick Township Public Works and recycling facility at Ridge Road, Oct. 2025. (Photo: Shorebeat)

The need for site-wide upgrades was identified as the township struggled to meet new state requirements governing the washing of large trucks, officials said at the time the project was first discussed. Brick, like most towns, utilized a private company to perform the washing, which is subject to complex environmental regulations. Officials said the costs of contracting for the wash station have risen steadily, prompting officials to consider investing in the township’s own wash facility. The wash facility would be part of the overall renovation or replacement effort.

“That started the discussion about getting our own, which in turn got us thinking about how long that building has been there and how long it has been since it was improved,” Business Administrator Joanne Bergin previously said.

Additionally, the township’s Parks and Recreation Department has no home base at all, with its personnel and vehicles scattered across township facilities. That department will also be housed at the Ridge Road facility under the plan.

The Public Works facility has drawn significant praise from the community for decades – it once even included a small petting zoo for children – and is open daily to collect bulk items, metal goods and recyclables, as well as leaves and debris at no cost to residents. Twice yearly, the facility also allows residential construction material disposal and occasionally hosts county-led HAZMAT collections. These services will continue regardless of the plan for the building on-site, officials said.

The Brick Township Public Works and recycling facility at Ridge Road, Spring 2024. (Photo: Shorebeat)

The submission of the CAFRA permit noted that either a 30-day public comment period or public hearing will be held on the application in the future. The complete permit package is on file at the township clerk’s office as well as the state DEP’s headquarters in Trenton. CAFRA permits notoriously take a significant amount of time to be issued, and township officials have not yet set a date as to when construction will begin, nor have contracts been awarded for the work besides the fuel tank replacements.