Boro 9/11 Memorial to be Up by September

Sayreville council awards $255K contract to local contractor BY MICHAEL ACKER Staff Writer
SAYREVILLE

- The borough is on course to have its quarter-million-dollar memorial to the victims of 9/11 built in time for the five-year anniversary of the terrorist attacks.

On Monday, the borough council authorized a $255,650 contract for Peter Ferro Construction Co. Inc., of South River, to build the memorial.

According to Borough Engineer Jay Cornell, the site plan for the memorial has remained unchanged, though the proposed site has been changed from the Sayreville Middle School to Burke's Park. Only the layout of the walkway has been changed in order to fit the existing topography of the site.

"The walkway layout is different, because the memorial is now in the middle of a park," Cornell said.

The park, on Washington Road, was chosen as the site after Councilman Rory Zach voiced concerns about security at the middle school if a public memorial was to be built there. The council's February decision to change sites resulted in the resignation of Ken Kelly as chairman of the 9/11 Committee, which spent more than two years planning for the memorial and chose the middle school as its site. Kelly, whose committee received Board of Education approval for the middle school site, expressed disappointment with the Borough Council for not consulting him or his committee in its relocation decision.

Zach felt Burke's Park was a more high-profile location than the middle school.

Borough Business Administrator Jeff Bertrand said a minimal number of trees will have to be cleared in Burke's Park to make way for the memorial, which will be built east of the gazebo, near Washington Road.

The memorial will be at the center of a circular pathway that will be 135 linear feet in size. It will include two replica towers made of granite that will each be 7 feet tall. Flagpoles, lighting and benches are also included. The walkway will have brick pavers until it meets with the asphalt path already at the park, Cornell said.

Cornell said the borough is now waiting for the contractor to submit a performance bond, insurance certificate and the signed contract. He anticipates the project to start by early June.
"The governing body is looking to have this done by 9/11," Cornell said.

Resident Barbara Kilcommons told the council Monday that she hopes the memorial is completed before Sept. 11. She asked if $255,650 was the final figure or if there were other fees not included in the figure. Cornell said that amount is the final fee paid to the contractor for all construction-related costs. This includes the clearing of trees and electric costs, he said.

Cornell noted that the amount is less than a previous bid submitted for the project.

Kilcommons said she is a neighbor of Louise and Robert Hughes, who lost their son, Bobby, on 9/11 at the age of 23.

"Bobby Hughes was my paper boy," Kilcommons said. "Memorials are already in other communities. Ours is long overdue."