Newly installed retractable bollards will allow for upper Broad Street to be converted quickly to a vehicle-free Broadwalk. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)
By JOHN T. WARD
Red Bank’s council is scheduled to hold two meetings Wednesday night, its only sessions in July.
Though not on the agenda for either the workshop or regular meeting, action to enable a third season of Broadwalk is anticipated by the downtown business community.
On the workshop agenda is discussion of a request for proposals to engage an executive search firm to fill the position of borough administrator. Police Chief Darren McConnell has been doing the job for 15 months, since the resignation of Ziad Shehady.
Among the matters to be discussed at the regular session:
• Formal dissolution of the controversial Redevelopment Agency, which has been dormant for the past year.
• Authorization for eight special events, including a “Cirque de Peace Light Up the Park” in Riverside Gardens Park July 29 and the annual Dog Days of Summer canine social in Marine Park September 10.
• An item titled “Year 2022 Community Development Project – Public Hearing.” No explanation is provided.
Missing from both agendas is any reference to Broadwalk. At a public forum last month, three council members and other officials assured attendees that the dining-and-shopping promenade would restart by late July, following completion of a disruptive streetscape makeover.
None of the three members of the council’s Broadwalk restart committee – council members Michael Ballard, Ed Zipprich and Kate Triggiano – responded to a redbankgreen inquiry about the issue Tuesday night.
But Red Bank RiverCenter Executive Director Bob Zuckerman told redbankgreen Zipprich told him he doesn’t know why it’s not on the agenda, “but they will take care of it tomorrow. So it certainly looks like they will be discussing it.”
The streetscape project, originally estimate to cost $2.7 million, included the installation of retractable hydraulic bollards that will enable the borough to easily block vehicular traffic on Broad Street between White and Front streets for Broadwalk and special events.
Here are the agendas for the workshop session, scheduled for 6:30 p.m., and the regular meeting, which follows immediately. Both will be in-person and virtual, with remote-access and participation information here. Residents watching through Borough of Red Bank, NJ Facebook livestream will not be able to comment.
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