300 Mendham Road | P.O. Box 1295 | Morris Township, New Jersey 07962-1295 Telephone: 973.326.7600 | Fax: 973.644.2726 | TTY Relay: 7-1-1 www.morrisparks.net THE MORRIS COUNTY PARK COMMISSION DISTRIBUTION OF PARK COMMISSION WORKSHOP MEETING MINUTES Date October 11, 2016 1. President Betty Cass‐Schmidt 2. Vice President Barbara Shepard 3. Commissioner Julie C. Baron 4. Commissioner Stuart Lasser 5. Commission Edward G. McCarthy 6. Commissioner Mathew Tal 7. Commissioner Richard Seabury, III 8. Commissioner Louis A. Valori, Jr. 9. Commissioner Kim M. Wentworth 10. Executive Director David D. Helmer 11. Freeholder Liaison Douglas R. Cabana 12. File – 2 THE MORRIS COUNTY PARK COMMISSION 300 Mendham Road Morris Township, New Jersey President Cass-Schmidt called to order the 839th meeting of the Morris County Park Commission at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, October 11, 2016 in the Park Commission Board Room at The Cultural Center, 300 Mendham Road, Morris Township, New Jersey. Executive Director Helmer then read the following notice: PURSUANT TO N.J.S.A. 10:4-6 et seq., adequate notice of this meeting held at 9:30 a.m. on the 11th day of October, 2016, has been provided by publication in the Daily Record and The Star-Ledger, by posting of said notice in the Administration Building of the Morris County Park Commission, at the County Courthouse, and by filing a copy of the same with the Morris County Clerk, and by posting an Agenda on the Morris County Park Commission website. ROLL CALL The following were present: President Betty Cass-Schmidt Executive Director David D. Helmer Vice President Barbara Shepard Deputy Executive Director Richard Vitale Commissioner Julie C. Baron Park Counsel John Suminski Commissioner Stuart Lasser Commissioner Edward McCarthy Commissioner Richard Seabury Commissioner Valori Also in attendance were the following staff: Assistant Deputy Director of Cultural & Environmental Resources Zafonte, Director of Recreation Facilities Fauci, Director of Park Planning & Development Denise Chaplick, Park Police Chief DiPietro, Assistant Deputy Director/Development Lanza, Assistant Director of Historic Sites Laffey, Director of Parks and Visitor Services Biase, Manager of Park Maintenance Weisnet, Manager of Engineering Hutzelmann, Manager of Safety & Compliance Rack, Manager of Golf Manzi, Superintendent of Natural Resources Kovacevic and Recreation Supervisor Robertson. Also in attendance were: Name Address Representing Melverne Cooke 38 Grand Avenue Cedar Knolls, NJ Self William J. McKelvey Liberty Historic Railway, Inc. Robert Hooper 4 Carriage Hill Drive Long Valley, NJ North Jersey ERHS Jack May 135 Montclair Ave., Montclair, NJ Liberty Historic Railway, Inc. SALUTE TO THE FLAG President Cass-Schmidt led those present in the salute to the flag. President Cass-Schmidt introduced Director of Park Planning & Development Chaplick, who then introduced the new Engineer, Mr. Jim Hutzelmann, Jim is coming to the Park Commission from the Highlands Council, where he spent the last 10 years of his career. Manager of Engineering Hutzelmann then spoke to the Park Commission and explained that while at the Highlands Commission, he was the Senior Engineer, and worked with primarily water resources and also project review. Prior to that he was employed with NRCS doing conservation programs throughout northern New Jersey. Prior to that he was a consultant doing waste water and storm water management. Executive Director Helmer explained that over the last number of months there had been discussions at the Recreational Trails Committee meeting about an initiative to restore and rehabilitate an old trolley line that used to run through the area that is now part of the West Morris Greenway at Hugh Force Park. Staff has had meetings with representatives of the United Railroad Historical Society, Liberty Historic Railway and the Borough of Wharton. Many of us are well aware that Wharton has done a fabulous job in obtaining not only historic preservation money at the state and county level but also state transportation money to really bring back a gorgeous piece of the Morris Canal and the lock tenders area in Wharton. We know working with Wharton on a number of events specifically Wharton Canal Day, the types of visitation that very small area in Wharton is receiving, as part of their annual program. When Mr. Bill McKelvey and his group came to the Park Commission not only did they bring ideas but energy and as will be discussed materials and equipment and a vast knowledge on how this project really can come to fruition. The project will need the Park Commission’s assistance in acquiring two easements along the former rail line that are held by a local Wharton/Roxbury business. Mr. McKelvey is here today to provide a presentation that he has shown to Executive Director Helmer and the Borough of Wharton. An aerial map of the area will be shown at the end of the presentation. Part of the discussion is related to land that the Commission has acquired along the West Morris Greenway which was part of the former Trolley Line. Mr. McEelvey pass out some information that they had actually put together for the Borough of Wharton, and their main goal is to speak to the Morris County Park Commission to seek permission to proceed with their project. Mr. McKelvey explained that the Wharton area is filled with railroads and phenomenal transportation history as outlined in the information passed out. They have also added to this packet information about the Trolley line that came up from Morristown and went to Lake Hopatcong and also a branch that went up to Wharton. Also in the illustration, there is marked out the Right of Way of the former Jersey Central Railroad of New Jersey that went up to Mount Hope Mine. Also indicated is Hopatcong Junction and the actual road bed that is available goes all the way over to Chester Junction or Lake Junction where it connects with the freight lines of Morris County and New Jersey Transit. The Trolley Right-of-Way parallels the water section of Morris Canal in Hugh Force County Park. Mr. McElvey further explained that the lock is actually 75 to 80 percent restored and they intend to restore it to be operational, so that eventually they will be able to have a boat that operates in that section of canal and goes through the lock and up into the basin above it. Mr. McElvey’s presentation illustrated that on the hillside is the right-of-way of Jersey Central. Mr. McElvey had two models of the trollies that they would like to use. The Jersey Central power line right of way is located in the center of this is the restored lock and on the right hand side would be the one trolley which would be the newer trolley which is approximately sixty-five years’ old that is located in Boonton, being restored. The other model is the older 1917 vintage trolley cars of which the North Jersey Electric Railway Historical Society and they have two of those trollies and they have two of the newer ones as well. Mr. McElvey’s presentation contained many pictures of the trolleys and information regarding the restoration process of them. He showed pictures of the car barn that they propose be on the Right of Way they would locate it behind trees, he showed pictures of the barn photo shopped in to the Right of Way. The people in Wharton were concerned that this building would over whelm the park, but it is camouflaged. The letters on it Central Railroad of New Jersey they have they are cast iron letters about 2 feet high and they weigh about 35 to 40 lbs. apiece. They were rescued from the Central Railroad of New Jersey locomotive shop located in Elizabeth before it was demolished. The right of way is two tracks wide so that there is room for the path to continue almost the entire length of the trolley line. Mr. McElvey continued to show the Commission several pictures and illustrations of the area from many different angles. He also made several references of the parking lot and the views from there. Mr. McElvey continued to explain what was contained in their information packet, which contained photographs, and letters of support from various railroad organizations in New Jersey. Along with those letters of support there was also a letter from the Canal Society of New Jersey, which is in favor of this project, and several brochures. Executive Director Helmer then showed the Commission views of the parcels of land that we are working on, with various renderings, and phases of the project. He explained that there are couple of parcels of land that it would be necessary to make the extension of the line two of them are owned by County Concrete, a former Commissioner of ours is willing to take this presentation to the owner of the property and we have had some good luck with him in the past on some other projects, to obtain an easement to be able to connect the trolley line. Another section is owned by New Jersey Transit and so that should be an easier run, and we will have to develop a relationship as well. We are also going to take another look at some of the other parcels, one is coming up as unknown and the other is coming up as County Concrete. Executive Director Helmer explained that for the Land Acquisition Committee when Bill was referring to the house near the Trolley Court, this was the piece of property that we acquired a few years ago in Wharton and this is the area that the Trolley Court would actually erected. The next step would be for the Park Commission if it is united directly to enter into a Memorandum of Agreement to allow this partnership to occur and to allow to begin the process moving forward.