Three years and still counting on Route 70 BY PATRICIA A. MILLER Staff Writer BRICK TOWNSHIP - The Parkway 70 Plaza lifestyle mall was originally slated to open by the summer of 2006. But the view from Route 70 east is still nothing but dirt and dust. It's been more than three years since the Planning Board gave Piscataway-based Edgewood Properties the okay to build the 280,000-square-foot mall on 29 acres. And township officials are still waiting for some action on both the developer's and the state's part. "We want them to take the lead in requiring this," Mayor Daniel J. Kelly said. "In the meantime, we are asking them to take care of some issues on the site right now." That includes controlling dirt and dust and planting some grass, the mayor said. "It's going to take a while," he said. "We need to get this site under control a little bit." The state Department of Transportation wants developer Jack Morris to increase the number of lanes on Route 70 by the site from two lanes on each side to three lanes on each side, from Duquesne Boulevard to Shorrock Street. Edgewood Properties is still waiting for DOT approval to increase the number of lanes to accommodate the number of cars traveling nearby, said Township Engineer James Priolo. "In order to make the site access work for this project, they may need to increase the highway classification to six lanes, three on each side," he said. The Planning Board approved an amended plan for the project in April 2004, based on a former proposal by developer ARC Equities in 2001. The site plan has since been amended again, Priolo said. Morris wants to put in several large retail buildings, including a Costco store, Dick's Sporting Goods, and a number of other stores, he said. Edgewood has received several violation notices from the Ocean County Soil Conservation District for blowing dust and drainage issues, he said. Edgewood hit a snag last year when it was discovered that soil contaminated with potentially cancer-causing polychlorinated byphenyls (PCBs) ended up being used as fill on the site. "They have been on hold for some time," Priolo said. "They had those issues with the DEP [state Department of Environmental Protection]. It appears those issues have been resolved. We are going to try and work with them to clean up the site, stabilize the soil and fix the sound wall in the back. Residents have also complained of drainage problems on the site, Priolo said. "We just heard that the DEP is going to allow them to go on-site in the very near future, he said. "We'll meet with them and review what the game plan is."