Variety of town improvements highlight Newton council meeting. Here's what happened

NEWTON — A variety of projects, including equipment purchases, air conditioning for the municipal building and upgrades to the water and sewer networks, were approved by the Town Council Monday.

In addition to the air conditioning project, estimated to cost about $350,000, other projects include nearly $900,000 for a boardwalk from Memory Park over some wetlands to the state-owned bicycle/hiking path along old railroad right-of-way. That path is part of the state-owned series of rail-trails in Sussex County.

No members of the public spoke at the series of hearings on the ordinances, which all passed by a 5-0 vote.

Among the ordinances approved was the renaming Brooks Plaza to Quantum Realm Drive. ThorLabs purchased the former E.J. Brooks property several years ago. The street leads from Diller Avenue to the factory which, before the ThorLabs purchase, was manufacturing site for decorative "glitter."

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Other bonds approved include the town's share of a project to build a boardwalk from Memory Park across some wetlands connecting with the Sussex Branch bicycle trail network; the other bonding projects include a series of water/sewer projects and buying more than $1.7 million for vehicles for the water/sewer department. The vehicles include a jet vacuum truck, street sweepers and trucks with plows.

The council approved a contract to provide animal control services to Fredon, making Newton the ACO provider to nearly a dozen municipalities in the county.

The council also set public hearings for the May 29 meeting for a new ordinance which sets parking space requirements for multi-family dwellings as well as setting the maximum number of bedrooms for those dwellings.

Other hearings set for May 29 are adding $70,000 to the road resurfacing program this year for Douma Drive, Douma Court, Valleyview Court and Babbit Court; and for the sale of town-owned property to the state Department of Environmental Protection for $27,000.

The property is two parcels, totaling about six acres, in the undeveloped area at the southeastern end of Dogwood Drive.

The two parcels would then become part of what DEP calls the Sussex Swamp Preserve which is the headwaters of the Pequest River, which flows from Newton, through southern Sussex County, then through Warren County ending at the Delaware River at Belvidere.