If Lower Columbia Is “On Hold,” Why Is Berkeley Heights Reworking Its Harbor Funding?

For a project that, just last month, was reportedly (from the Recreation Commission and Council President, John Foster) ON HOLD, things are shaking up a bit when it comes to finances for the Lower Columbia project.

There is a resolution to amend 2025-376, which was adopted on December 16, 2025, designating the location of funds to Harbor Consultants for FINAL engineering design and construction documents for the bidding of Lower Columbia Park. The amended resolution shows a significant decrease in the Recreational Improvements 2025 account (G-02-28-370-325), which originally designated $72,460 to Lower Columbia and is being decreased to $23,000. The Local Area Improvement – Lower Columbia account (G-02-28-370-600) is being increased from $38,540 to $53,000 and the remaining $35,000 is being taken from a 2024 Kids Recreation Grant to fulfill the $111,000 maximum originally set forth in this resolution.

While this amending of accounts could be completely normal, nothing about the way the Lower Columbia project has moved forward has been particularly transparent. The funding begs one significant question, which we have been asking for over a year, where is the money coming from and going to?

I would love to understand why, in 2026, a 2024 Kids Recreation Grant in the amount of $35,000 is now being used as part of the funding certification for Harbor Consultants. What are the kids getting out of this payment for an engineering firm? Is professional engineering and design an eligible expense under the specific 2024 Kids Recreation Grant agreement?

There is another question here. Records previously obtained by NJ21st showed $0 in period revenue, year-to-date revenue and total revenue in the 2024 Union County Kids Recreation Grant revenue account as of April 29, 2026. The Township is now certifying $35,000 from the Kids Recreation Grant – 2024 account as part of the $111,000 Harbor contract.

So when was that $35,000 received, how was it booked and is Harbor’s engineering work an authorized use of it?

NJ21st is in the process of submitting an OPRA request to obtain financial accounting records for all accounts listed, past and present, for this project to better understand where grant money that is applied for and received to fulfill a specific need is actually going. (Mountain Ave and Snyder Avenue sidewalk projects ring a bell to anyone?! Yea, is that money sitting, too?).

Furthermore, it doesn’t appear that, once again, the Township is working with, consulting with or even talking to the Recreation Commission about this new funding structure or the amendment of the contract for FINAL designs and construction documents for Lower Columbia field.

The Council is also set to approve an amended fee to Harbor Consultants from $32,460 (approved via Resolution 2025-270 on September 16, 2025) to $18,000, a reduction of $14,460 for professional engineering services, including land surveying, environmental investigation and conceptual engineering design for the Columbia Middle School Lower Fields project.

As per the Township Administrator’s advice from the last Council meeting, the Township website does not display any updates to the Lower Columbia project at the time this article was published.

As residents were cautioned by Recreation Commission members current and past, stay vigilant and stay informed because things have not been put “on hold” from a business standpoint with our Township.

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