Roads and utilities

Maxwell Court and Cherry Tree drainage

Warren expanded a Maxwell Court drainage study to Cherry Tree Lane and the reach to Warrenbrook Golf Course, raising the engineering contract to $183,040 and adding $100,000 in bonds. A $3.5 million state grant application was listed in September 2026.

Checked against the primary record on . Every figure on this page is sourced at the foot of the article.

Grant applied for Last moved

What happens next

Residents can ask the Township Engineer for the study's recommendations and the construction schedule during privilege of the floor at a Township Committee meeting; the Committee's agendas and minutes are posted on the Township's AgendaCenter.

The study. On July 2, 2025 the Township awarded Remington & Vernick Engineers (RVE) a contract for engineering services for the Maxwell Court Drainage Improvement Project feasibility study (Res. 2025-182, as recited in Res. 2026-117). RVE presented preliminary findings to the Committee on Dec. 11, 2025. The presentation is an attachment to the minutes; LocalWhy has not reviewed its contents, so the study’s recommendations and cost estimates are not reported here.

At that meeting Frank Kane of Maxwell Court asked about next steps. Administrator Mark Krane said meetings would be scheduled with RVE and the Department of Public Works to determine immediate maintenance needs and discuss costs and plans. Mayor Lontai suggested that DPW review every culvert the Township is responsible for and create a maintenance schedule. Joseph Faro of Sage Drive asked the Township to address ongoing drainage maintenance and repairs on Mount Bethel Road.

The expansion. Introducing Ordinance 26-13 on March 12, 2026, Krane said the initial Maxwell Court study had shown the downstream area, including Cherry Tree Lane, also needed to be addressed. The ordinance amends Bond Ordinance 25-13, making a supplemental appropriation of $100,000 with $95,000 in bonds or notes. It was introduced 4–0, Croson absent, and adopted 5–0 on April 16, 2026 after a hearing with no comments.

The same day, Res. 2026-117 awarded RVE a change of scope of $93,110.00, putting the total contract at $183,040.00. The added work covers Cherry Tree Lane and the area upstream of Mount Bethel Road to Warrenbrook Golf Course. The resolution recites that Cherry Tree Lane has also flooded in extreme rainfall events, and says the amended contract could not be executed until Ordinance 26-13 took effect.

The grant application. The Sept. 24, 2026 agenda lists Res. 2026-236, authorizing an application to the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs Resilient Communities Program for $3,500,000 ‘to address flooding and drainage issues in the area of Maxwell Court and Cherry Tree Lane.’ The resolution text recites that RVE was hired to study, design and permit the work, that a public hearing was held that day and that the application and plans were posted on the Township website. LocalWhy has not reviewed minutes for that meeting, so whether the resolution was adopted is not confirmed. No construction cost estimate, local share or award decision appears in the records reviewed.

Maxwell Court and Cherry Tree drainage, explained

Timeline

Each dated event on this issue, oldest first, linked to the full sourced entry.

  1. Resolved Township hires engineers for the Maxwell Court drainage studyResolution 2025-182 awarded Remington & Vernick Engineers a contract for the Maxwell Court Drainage Improvement Project feasibility study, as recited in a 2026 resolution.
  2. Active Engineers present Maxwell Court drainage findings; residents ask about next stepsRemington & Vernick presented findings and recommendations on Maxwell Court and Cherry Tree Lane drainage. Frank Kane asked about next steps; the Mayor suggested a culvert inventory and maintenance schedule.
  3. Active Committee introduces a $100,000 bond amendment for the Cherry Tree Lane studyOrdinance 26-13, introduced 4–0, amended Bond Ordinance 25-13 with a $100,000 supplemental appropriation and $95,000 in bonds for the Cherry Tree Lane drainage engineering study.
  4. Resolved Cherry Tree study bond adopted, 5–0; engineering scope grows by $93,110Ordinance 26-13 was adopted 5–0, adding $100,000 and $95,000 in bonds for the Cherry Tree Lane study. Resolution 2026-117 added $93,110 of engineering, for a stated contract total of $183,040.
  5. Pending $3.5 million drainage grant application goes before the CommitteeThe September 24, 2026 agenda listed Res. 2026-236, applying to the state Resilient Communities Program for $3,500,000 for flooding and drainage at Maxwell Court and Cherry Tree Lane. LocalWhy has not reviewed that meeting's minutes.

Explainers

  • Maxwell Court and Cherry Tree drainage, explained

    How a one-street drainage study grew to cover Cherry Tree Lane, what the engineering contract and bond amendment cost, and the $3.5 million state grant application the records do not yet resolve.

Documents

The township's own records on this issue. Each links to the official copy.

Meetings

  • Township Committee Regular Meeting

    The Township Committee agenda listed public hearings on Ordinance 26-23, a $1,400,000 bond to buy property at 106 Mount Horeb Road, and Ordinance 26-24, vacating part of San Road, plus a $3,500,000 state grant application for Maxwell Court and Cherry Tree Lane drainage. The Township's highlights page lists both ordinances as adopted. Minutes were not reviewed, so roll calls are not recorded.

  • Township Committee Regular Meeting

    The Township Committee adopted three ordinances 5–0, including the $900,000 public safety communications appropriation, the $100,000 Cherry Tree Lane drainage study and the AH-6 unit increase, and introduced the 2026 municipal budget, 5–0. It introduced a cap bank and a sewer easement ordinance, 5–0, and adopted consent resolutions 2026-114 through 2026-128, 5–0, including the Federal Reserve Bank redeveloper designation.

  • Township Committee Regular Meeting

    The Township Committee adopted eight ordinances 4–0, including the $763,343 Mount Bethel Meeting House appropriation, a $445,000 Valley View Road bond, an affordable housing development-fee rewrite and six affordable housing zoning districts. It introduced three more, 4–0: $900,000 for public safety communications, $100,000 for the Cherry Tree Lane drainage study and an AH-6 unit increase. Consent resolutions 2026-093 through 2026-105 passed 4–0.

  • Township Committee Regular Meeting

    The Township Committee adopted Ordinance 25-20 prohibiting signs on public property, 4–0, with Committeeman Blick absent. It approved police promotions, $90,000 in opioid settlement funds for school mentoring and a mediation agreement with Fair Share Housing Center, 4–0 each, with Mayor Lontai abstaining on the opioid funds. Consent resolutions covered road contracts, sewer work and a Park and Ride extension.

Sources for this overview

  1. Township Committee minutes, December 11, 2025 (engineer presentation; resident comments)
  2. Township Committee minutes, March 12, 2026 (Ordinance 26-13 introduced)
  3. Township Committee minutes, April 16, 2026 (Ordinance 26-13 adopted; Res. 2026-117)
  4. Township Committee agenda, September 24, 2026 (Res. 2026-236)
  5. Planning Board minutes, March 25, 2026 (storm debris and inlets)
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