AA Learn more about in-home care options for your loved ones

Members of the Mine Hill Fire Department relax on their new living room set donated by Suburban Furniture of Succasunna

Photo Credit: Mine Hill Volunteer Fire Department

Photo Credit: Mine Hill Volunteer Fire Department

Members of the Mine Hill Fire Department relax on their new living room set donated by Suburban FurniturePhoto Credit: Mine Hill Volunteer Fire Department

By Suburban Furniture

PublishedDecember 6, 2022 at 9:59 AM

Last UpdatedDecember 6, 2022 at 9:59 AM

MINE HILL, NJ – It’s an exciting time when the furniture delivery truck pulls up outside, and it was no different on Monday morning when Suburban Furniture’s truck arrived at the Mine Hill Volunteer Fire Department.

This time, though, the truck came with donations for the fire house: Two sofas and a chair for the volunteers to use while they await calls.

“It’s the least we can do,” said Suburban Furniture General Manager Kenny Luthy. “The Mine Hill Volunteer Fire Department has been serving the local community for over 100 years, and we are very happy to support the brave men and women who volunteer their time.”

Sign Up for FREE Roxbury Newsletter

Get local news you can trust in your inbox.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Brian Daboul, currently the assistant chief for the fire department and the past chief for the last four years, had this to say about the donation: “Our town is fortunate to have so many people volunteer their time for the department, and we are thankful for places like Suburban Furniture that support all of these volunteers. We are looking forward to being more comfortable in the firehouse.”

This is the latest of several charitable efforts by the 70-year-old, Succasunna-based furniture store. Recent efforts included the support of a charity raffle by the Dean Michael Clarizio Cancer Foundation, a food drive in support of the Roxbury Food Pantry and contributions to several local schools and charitable organizations.

About the Mine Hill Volunteer Fire Department The Mine Hill Volunteer Fire Department was founded in 1915 and has aided the community for more than 100 years. Its dedicated, volunteer team is on call 24 hours a day and seven days a week. Learn more about the department by visiting www.minehillfiredept.org.

About Suburban Furniture

Suburban Furniture has been serving the Roxbury Township, Morris, Warren and Sussex County and Northern New Jersey areas for more than 70 years. Our customers value us for our large selection, beautiful showroom, fair prices and immediate delivery. Still family owned after 50 years, we are committed to providing a unique, family friendly, comfortable place to shop for your home. Our caring staff, combined with affordable, in-stock furniture will help you furnish your home in hours, not months. Learn more by visiting www.suburbanfurniture.com/.

ROXBURY, NJ – Rutgers Pond, also known as Sunset Lake, was formed by decades of quarrying.

Now, Roxbury-based County Concrete Corp. wants to return to that hole on the Roxbury/Mine Hill border some material long ago removed.

The company has applied to the state for permission to fill in a section of the pond and to reroute a piece of the Black River through the reclaimed area. In an application describing the plan, County Concrete says the river would be returned to its “natural channel” instead of going through the man-made pond as it does now.

Sign Up for FREE Roxbury Newsletter

Get local news you can trust in your inbox.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

The project is outlined in a 597-page application filed with the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) which refers to the plan as the “Black River Restoration.” County Concrete is seeking from the DEP a flood hazard individual permit and an open water fill individual permit.

“The Black River … currently routes through man-made Rutgers Pond in Roxbury and Mine Hill Townships,” says the application. “The proposed project will reestablish the natural channel of the river, disconnecting it from Rutgers Pond. This will be accomplished by mainly using fine-grained materials that were separated from aggregates removed from the pond to build up land surface along the southwest edge of the pond.”

The pond is the body of water that includes Mine Hill Beach on the eastern shore across the water from County Concrete’s plant in Kenvil.

A River Runs Through It

County Concrete proposes to build a “naturalized stream channel” through the filled-in area that would “directly connect the Black River to itself” below the pond. That new channel would be shored-up with gravel and vegetation, according to the letter. “Landscaping and shade trees will be implemented along both sides of the new stream channel,” it notes.

The company proposes filling-in about 16 acres of the 56-acre pond, with about nine acres of the filled area rising above the water. If approved, the project would take seven to 10 years to finish, according to the paperwork.

“To date, there have been no attempts to restore or stabilize the Black River channel through the project site,” says the application. “The causes of ecological degradation that led to the Black River connecting to Rutgers Pond were mechanical quarrying operations. Quarrying operations are no longer active in the project area, and this mechanical removal of restored stream channel and banks is not a concern.”

The document asserts that replacing the material into the pond “is the only way to restore the Black River Channel to a typical cross-section,” adding that the river’s channel “has been drastically reconfigured due to the historical quarrying operations.“

The project is the only viable alternative, asserts the application, suggesting County Concrete is running out of room at its Kenvil site to store unwanted material it can't sell. If not allowed to proceed “County Concrete would have to either “haul and properly dispose of the sifted native soils at an offsite location,” continue to store it on site or buy new land to conduct its operations, it says.

“The materials have no market or resale value,” says the document. “Relocating this material would require significant truck transportation of the material, resulting in increased truck traffic and air pollution. Disposing of this fill at regulated facilities would also incur significant costs.”

County Concrete President John Crimi did not return a message.

The application seemed to come as a surprise to Mine Hill Mayor Sam Morris and to Roxbury Township Manager John Shepherd. Both said they had no idea it was coming.

Don’t miss any Roxbury news! Click here to sign-up for our free daily e-newsletter.

Please “like” and “follow” us on Facebook and check out our Twitter feed.

TAPinto Roxbury is free to read, funded entirely by business advertising.

To get your business in front of thousands of readers in Roxbury and beyond, become a TAPinto sponsor! Call 862-259-2448 or click here.

To send press releases, classified ads, items for the event calendar, “Milestones” announcements, etc., look for the “Submit Content” link on the homepage.

Thank you for reading TAPinto Roxbury!

Photo Credit: TAPinto Roxbury

By Fred J. Aun

PublishedSeptember 8, 2022 at 5:16 PM

ROXBURY, NJ – Taken by surprise by County Concrete Corp.’s plan to fill in part of a local lake and reroute the Black River, the township recently peppered the state with 22 questions and comments about the project.

The concrete company has asked the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) for permission to fill in a section of Rutgers Pond, also known as Sunset Lake. The body of water, created by many years of quarrying, lies on the Roxbury/Mine Hill border adjacent to County Concrete's Kenvil facility.

In its nearly

, County Concrete proposes to spend seven years to 10 years filling in about 16 acres of the 56-acre pond. It wants to use, as fill, “sifted native soils” currently being stored at its Kenvil plant.

Sign Up for FREE Roxbury Newsletter

Get local news you can trust in your inbox.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

'Additional Land Mass?'

In a letter to the DEP, Roxbury Township Manager John Shepherd said town officials have many “questions and concerns with respect to the application” and he asked the state to take Roxbury’s input into consideration prior to the issuance of any permit.

The first question asked in Shepherd’s letter relates to potential uses for the “new land” that would be created.

“The fill activity will enlarge three existing residential developed and zoned properties,” he wrote. “Will the additional land mass provide an opportunity for further development of the properties and/or residential subdivision? Can the new land be taxed (currently farmland assessed) or does any DEP regulation prohibit additional taxation?”

Shepherd’s letter notes County Concrete currently has three quarry/mining/extraction operations taking place in Roxbury. It said the company should be required to complete those operations before winning approval for the new project “so the disruption to adjacent residents can cease” to occur.

“The Township is concerned that fill for these projects will be diverted for the Black River Restoration and the impacts to the Roxbury residents will continue for a longer period,” wrote Shepherd. “The Township is opposed to any material being used for fill which has been generated at some location other than the County Concrete quarrying operations in Roxbury and Mine Hill townships.”

The township also wants to know the source of topsoil that would be used once the fill material is in place. “While the fill material may come from sites in Roxbury or Mine Hill townships, where is the source of topsoil coming from? Organic matter will be needed for plant and seed installation. In addition, clay material is specified to stabilize the channel bed and banks,” says the letter.

Thousands of Trucks

Shepherd says town officials are concerned about truck traffic on local roads. He notes that County Concrete proposes to use nearly 600,000 cubic yards of fill material for the project. “That amount equals approximately 30,000 to 35,000 truckloads or 60,000 to 70,000 truck trips,” says the letter, adding that the use by those trucks of Green Lane would be a big problem.

“Green Lane is a narrow, residential road which is in poor condition and would be heavily damaged by this significant truck traffic,” Shepherd wrote. “As such, Roxbury Township is opposed to the utilization of Green Lane or any other township street which has residential property uses for accessing the site via truck. The Township is concerned with the wear and tear on any road within the township over the course of a 7- to 10-year time frame.”

The letter says Roxbury also “objects to any work at the site, including delivery of material, between the hours of 6 p.m. and 8 a.m. It asks for details about the “landscape restoration” being proposed, as well as a plan for future site maintenance.

“How are downstream properties protected from flooding and erosion as the stream embankments become established?” Shepherd asks. “Continuous monitoring and maintenance are necessary over the anticipated 7- to 10-year construction period to establish the embankment. The construction duration is concerning since there will be significant time periods where there will not be any construction activity, especially between May 1 and July 31, to protect spawning fish in the pond. Any control measures which have been compromised will have negative sediment deposition downstream of the project area.”

Water Table Worries

The final point raised in Shepherd’s letter relates to the project’s potential impact on private wells in the area. It points out that County Concrete proposes pumping up to 750 gallons of water per minute of water.

“Will pumping lower the water elevation for an extended period?” asks Shepherd. “If so, will there be a negative impact to the existing private wells in the area? Roxbury Township private well owners have, recently, experienced negative impacts from water pumping activities related to County Concrete mining/pumping operations.”

In an email, Shepherd said there has been no direct communication between County Concrete and the township about the project. Town officials have expressed their unhappiness.

"They want to reroute the Black River and that certainly goes through my ward," said Roxbury Deputy Mayor Jaki Albrecht, a Kenvil resident, at the Roxbury Township Council's Aug. 9 meeting. "I'm not pleased with that at all."

At that meeting, both Roxbury Mayor Jim Rilee and Shepherd said the town was taken by surprise by the proposal. "I have spoken with Russ (Stern), our planning director, who is looking at the project as possibly land development, soil moving and something that would go in front of our planning board," Shepherd told the council.

Don’t miss any Roxbury news! Click here to sign-up for our free daily e-newsletter.

Please “like” and “follow” us on Facebook and check out our Twitter feed.

TAPinto Roxbury is free to read, funded entirely by business advertising.

To get your business in front of thousands of readers in Roxbury and beyond, become a TAPinto sponsor! Call 862-259-2448 or click here.

To send press releases, classified ads, items for the event calendar, “Milestones” announcements, etc., look for the “Submit Content” link on the homepage.

Thank you for reading TAPinto Roxbury!

Read More Green

Recent Articles Nearby

Gastroenterology Associates of New Jersey (GANJ), a renowned leader in gastroenterology care, is proud to announce the addition of Dr. Tarun K. Sharma, a highly revered gastroenterologist with a proven track record of providing exceptional, personalized patient care. Dr. Sharma's decision to join GANJ stems from his desire to be associated with a prominent group of leading gastroenterologists in northern New Jersey, furthering GANJ’s mission to deliver top-quality gastroenterology services to the community.

Dr. Sharma brings a decade of experience in the field of gastroenterology to GANJ. Before specializing in gastroenterology, Dr. Sharma served as a hospitalist from 2002 to 2007 in Morris County – where he gained valuable insights into acute care of hospitalized patients. His familiarity and prior associations with Morris County and its residents prompted Dr. Sharma to return to the area to establish a dedicated gastroenterology practice, in Mine Hill, New Jersey.

Dr. Sharma completed his medical degree at St. George’s University School of Medicine in Grenada and specialized training in gastroenterology through a prestigious fellowship at Drexel School of Medicine/Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh, PA. His dedication to advancing knowledge and skills led him to participate in numerous research projects, resulting in several publications in esteemed medical journals. Dr. Sharma’s practice will focus on comprehensive care in the areas of colon cancer screening, reflux disease, irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease and chronic liver diseases such as fatty liver, cirrhosis, and primary biliary cholangitis. In addition to providing exceptional care, Dr. Sharma's practice offers unique procedures including capsule endoscopy, a non-invasive method for evaluating the small bowel, and hemorrhoidal banding, a convenient in-office procedure for the treatment of hemorrhoids.

Sign Up for FREE Roxbury Newsletter

Get local news you can trust in your inbox.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

"We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Sharma to our practice," said Steven Puchik, COO of Gastroenterology Associates of New Jersey. "His expertise and passion for gastroenterology make him an invaluable addition to our team. Dr. Sharma shares our commitment to personalized, patient-focused care and will contribute significantly to our mission of improving digestive health and well-being across Morris County."

"The decision to become part of Gastroenterology Associates of New Jersey stems from my desire to be associated with a group of established professionals whose reputation reflects a commitment to preventative care and a tireless desire to stay abreast of the latest technological advances and treatment protocols,” said Dr. Sharma. “Medicine runs in my blood, with my father, an emergency room physician, serving as my inspiration to pursue a career in this noble field. As I embark on this new journey with GANJ, I want our patients to know that my dedicated staff and I are wholly committed to their well-being.”

For more information about Gastroenterology Associates of New Jersey and to schedule an appointment with Dr. Sharma in his Mine Hill, New Jersey location, please visit www.ganjllc.com.

About Gastroenterology Associates of New Jersey

Gastroenterology Associates of New Jersey (GANJ) is an integrated group practice comprised of a team of highly skilled gastroenterologists. As part of our dedication to complete care, our board-certified physicians and professional staff will effectively evaluate, diagnose and treat acute and chronic gastrointestinal conditions and diseases.

GANJ is the largest gastroenterology practice in northern New Jersey with 24 locations in four counties and is served by 37 gastroenterology physicians, each with an emphasis on personalized care for patients of all ages and activity levels.

Editor's Note: This advertorial content is being published by TAPinto.net as a service for its marketing partners. For more information about how to market your business or nonprofit on TAPinto, please visit TAPintoMarketing.net or email [email protected]. The opinions expressed herein, if any, are the writer's alone, and do not reflect the opinions of TAPinto.net or anyone who works for TAPinto.net. TAPinto.net is not responsible for the accuracy of any of the information supplied by the writer.