NJDOT Property: Route 130, Parcel VM42F1 (Brooklawn, Camden County, NJ)
Dear New Jersey Department of Transportation,
Please accept this electronic request for public records made under OPRA and the common law right of access. I am not required to fill out an official form or use a particular software platform to submit my request per NJSA 47:1A-6(f), which states that an email from a requestor including all of the information required on the adopted form shall suffice in place of a completed form as a valid government record request.
I HAVE NOT been convicted of any indictable offense under the laws of New Jersey, any other state, or the United States.
I WILL NOT use the requested government records for a commercial purpose.
I AM NOT seeking records in connection with a legal proceeding.
Records requested:
My preferred delivery method for response(s) to this request is by E-mail as attachments. Please confirm you have received this request. If you are not the custodian of records, please forward my request to that person and provide their email address to me for future reference.
Re: Records Related to NJDOT Parcel VM42F1 – Fence Installation, Stormwater Justification, and Right-of-Way Compliance
Dear Records Custodian:
Pursuant to the New Jersey Open Public Records Act (“OPRA”), N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1 et seq., I request access to and copies of all records described below relating to NJDOT-owned Parcel VM42F1 located along Route 130 in Brooklawn, Camden County, immediately adjacent to 297 & 304 Crescent Blvd.
This request includes, but is not limited to, any records involving fence installation, stormwater runoff claims, LaTorre’s July 19, 2023 correspondence, surplus property determinations, adjacent owner rights, municipal requests, and NJDOT internal decision-making.
Unless otherwise noted, the timeframe is January 1, 2020 through the date this request is fulfilled.
I. FENCE INSTALLATION – COMPLETE RECORD SET
Please provide all records associated with the fence recently installed on Parcel VM42F1, including:
Work orders, project numbers, scope of work, task authorizations, funding sources, and project accounting records.
Contracts, purchase orders, vendor invoices, procurement documentation, or payment records related to the fence.
Internal NJDOT communications (emails, memos, directives, handwritten notes) discussing:
Authorization of the fence
Purpose or justification
Site inspections
Engineering review
Right-of-Way impacts
Any engineering, environmental, hydrology, drainage, or safety documentation prepared before or after installation.
Communications with Brooklawn officials regarding the fence, including:
Borough Administrator Ryan Giles
Councilman John Clotworthy
Police Department
Brooklawn DPW or any other municipal entity
Internal NJDOT approvals, including:
Supervising official who authorized installation
Justification used
Approvals under NJAC Title 16
Access Management/R.O.W. compliance reviews
II. JULY 19, 2023 LETTER FROM JOHN LaTORRE – BASIS & BACKUP DOCUMENTATION
Please provide:
All drafts, internal discussions, or emails relating to the July 19, 2023 correspondence issued by Realty Specialist 1 John LaTorre referencing:
“Stormwater runoff control”
Existence or proximity of a “basin”
Retention of Parcel VM42F1 for drainage purposes
All engineering documents, maps, hydrological analyses, drainage studies, GIS layers, or photographs used as the basis for LaTorre’s statements.
Any corrections, concerns, or internal questioning of the accuracy of LaTorre’s statements.
III. STORMWATER / “FLOOD MITIGATION” JUSTIFICATION RECORDS
Provide all records asserting or evaluating stormwater, flood mitigation, runoff control, or environmental use for Parcel VM42F1, including:
Hydrology reports
Feasibility studies
Environmental impact assessments
NJDEP Flood Hazard or wetlands permit applications/approvals
Maps, drawings, drainage infrastructure diagrams
Any documentation establishing the existence of:
A drainage basin
Stormwater system
Stormwater conveyance feature
Right-of-Way safety need
Internal communication questioning whether stormwater use exists or is factually supported.
IV. SURPLUS / EXCESS PROPERTY / ADJACENT OWNER RIGHTS
Please provide:
Surplus property screening evaluations for Parcel VM42F1.
Needs analyses performed under NJDOT’s Surplus Real Property Disposal Procedures.
Any records evaluating the parcel for:
Drainage
Mitigation
Transportation needs
Future roadway use
Adjacent property owner notification records.
Right-of-first-refusal inquiries or applications received.
Internal discussions regarding adjacent owner eligibility, including the owner of 297/304 Crescent Blvd.
V. CORRESPONDENCE WITH BROOKLAWN & THIRD PARTIES
A. Borough of Brooklawn → NJDOT
All correspondence between Brooklawn officials and NJDOT regarding Parcel VM42F1, including:
Ryan Giles
Councilman John Clotworthy
Mayor’s Office
Police Department
DPW
B. Westbrook Lanes / Westbrook Lanes & Lounge
All communications referencing Westbrook Lanes in connection with:
Parcel VM42F1
Parking
Fencing
Surplus property
Complaints
VI. INTERNAL NJDOT COMMUNICATIONS
Provide all internal NJDOT emails, memoranda, directives, meeting notes, and reports discussing:
The fence install
Stormwater justification contradictions
Accuracy of LaTorre’s “basin” claim
Brooklawn pressure or requests
Westbrook Lanes involvement
Whether the fence was:
Properly authorized
Compliant with NJAC Title 16
Supported by engineering or safety analysis
Out of compliance with R.O.W. standards
Any concern about unauthorized modification of State property.
VII. REQUIRED OPRA DISCLOSURE PROCEDURES
If any portion of this request is denied or redacted, please provide:
The specific legal basis for the denial/redaction
A Vaughn index / privilege log describing each withheld record
Partial records must be provided in redacted form as required by OPRA.
FORMAT REQUESTED
Please provide all responsive records electronically via email in PDF or standard digital format.
CLOSING
This request is made following my formal notice to NJDOT that:
The installed fence does not correspond to any visible drainage basin, stormwater infrastructure, or highway safety feature;
The July 19, 2023 “basin/stormwater runoff control” justification appears factually unsupported;
Site conditions do not match NJDOT drainage, hydrology, or Right-of-Way criteria; and
Proper authorization and engineering support for the fence must be substantiated through records responsive to this request.
Please confirm receipt and provide an OPRA tracking number.
Yours faithfully,
JENNIFER AKTURK
The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) is in receipt of the
attached request for records under the Open Public Records Act (OPRA).
This request is being forwarded to the appropriate Unit(s) to determine if
records responsive to your request exist, and for further review of your
request in light of the law governing OPRA requests and the Department of
Transportation’s document retention policies.
If this request involves an extraordinary expenditure of time and effort,
we will need to assess a special service fee and you will be advised of
such. This will apply regardless of the method you wish to receive the
records in addition to the copying cost. Note that for any existing
records located off-site or in a storage facility, or requires extensive
review, we may request an extension of time if necessary.
Please address all your communications pertaining to this request directly
to this email address.
Thank you in advance for your patience, and we will be in contact with
you.
[1]Description: Description:
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OPRA Unit
NJDOT Custodian of Records
Office of Inspector General
Phone (609) 963-1950
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We apologize for the delay in processing your request, but would like to
assure you that your request is still in progress. We are still in the
process of searching through records and identifying and reviewing records
specifically responsive to your request.
Therefore, the Department of Transportation requires an extension until
February 18, 2026.
We will do our best to provide a response to you as quickly as possible.
We thank you for your patience and assistance.
[1]Description: Description:
http://njdotsharepointinsgen.njdot.lan/S...
OPRA Unit
NJDOT Custodian of Records
Office of Inspector General
Phone (609) 963-1950
CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This email message and all attachments transmitted
with it may contain State of New Jersey legally privileged and
confidential information intended solely for the use of the addressee
only. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, you are
hereby notified that any reading, dissemination, distribution, copying, or
other use of this message or its attachment(s) is prohibited. If you have
received this message in error, please notify the sender immediately and
delete this message. If the disclaimer can't be applied, take no action.
References
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We apologize for the delay in processing your request, but would like to
assure you that your request is still in progress. We are still in the
process of searching through records and identifying and reviewing records
specifically responsive to your request.
Therefore, the Department of Transportation requires an additional
extension until March 4, 2026.
We will do our best to provide a response to you as quickly as possible.
We thank you for your patience and assistance.
[1]Description: Description:
http://njdotsharepointinsgen.njdot.lan/S...
OPRA Unit
NJDOT Custodian of Records
Office of Inspector General
Phone (609) 963-1950
CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This email message and all attachments transmitted
with it may contain State of New Jersey legally privileged and
confidential information intended solely for the use of the addressee
only. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, you are
hereby notified that any reading, dissemination, distribution, copying, or
other use of this message or its attachment(s) is prohibited. If you have
received this message in error, please notify the sender immediately and
delete this message. If the disclaimer can't be applied, take no action.
References
Visible links
We apologize for the delay in processing your request, but would like to
assure you that your request is still in progress. We are still in the
process of searching through records and identifying and reviewing records
specifically responsive to your request.
Therefore, the Department of Transportation requires an additional
extension until March 18, 2026.
We will do our best to provide a response to you as quickly as possible.
We thank you for your patience and assistance.
[1]Description: Description:
http://njdotsharepointinsgen.njdot.lan/S...
OPRA Unit
NJDOT Custodian of Records
Office of Inspector General
Phone (609) 963-1950
CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This email message and all attachments transmitted
with it may contain State of New Jersey legally privileged and
confidential information intended solely for the use of the addressee
only. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, you are
hereby notified that any reading, dissemination, distribution, copying, or
other use of this message or its attachment(s) is prohibited. If you have
received this message in error, please notify the sender immediately and
delete this message. If the disclaimer can't be applied, take no action.
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Dear New Jersey Department of Transportation,
Please pass this on to the person who conducts Open Public Records Act reviews.
I am writing to request an internal review of New Jersey Department of Transportation's handling of my OPRA request 'NJDOT Property: Route 130, Parcel VM42F1 (Brooklawn, Camden County, NJ)'.
THIS IS LONG OVERDUE AND WILL NEED TO BE ESCALATED TO THE GCR
A full history of my OPRA request and all correspondence is available on the Internet at this address: https://opramachine.com/request/njdot_pr...
JENNIFER AKTURK
Good afternoon,
We apologize for the delay in processing your request, but would like to
assure you that your request is still in progress. Please do not hesitate
to contact Deputy Attorney General Jennifer Jaremback at 609-376-3300 if
you have any further questions.
Thank you for your assistance and cooperation.
[1]Description: Description:
http://njdotsharepointinsgen.njdot.lan/S...
OPRA Unit
NJDOT Custodian of Records
Office of Inspector General
Phone (609) 963-1950
We apologize for the delay in processing your request, but would like to
assure you that your request is still in progress. We are still in the
process of reviewing records specifically responsive to your request.
Therefore, the Department of Transportation requires an additional
extension until April 1, 2026.
We will do our best to provide a response to you as quickly as possible.
We thank you for your patience and assistance.
[1]Description: Description:
http://njdotsharepointinsgen.njdot.lan/S...
OPRA Unit
NJDOT Custodian of Records
Office of Inspector General
Phone (609) 963-1950
CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This email message and all attachments transmitted
with it may contain State of New Jersey legally privileged and
confidential information intended solely for the use of the addressee
only. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, you are
hereby notified that any reading, dissemination, distribution, copying, or
other use of this message or its attachment(s) is prohibited. If you have
received this message in error, please notify the sender immediately and
delete this message. If the disclaimer can't be applied, take no action.
References
Visible links
We apologize for the delay in processing your request, but would like to
assure you that your request is still in progress. We are still in the
process of searching through records and identifying and reviewing records
specifically responsive to your request.
Therefore, the Department of Transportation requires an additional
extension until April 16, 2026.
We will do our best to provide a response to you as quickly as possible.
We thank you for your patience and assistance.
[1]Description: Description:
http://njdotsharepointinsgen.njdot.lan/S...
OPRA Unit
NJDOT Custodian of Records
Office of Inspector General
Phone (609) 963-1950
CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This email message and all attachments transmitted
with it may contain State of New Jersey legally privileged and
confidential information intended solely for the use of the addressee
only. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, you are
hereby notified that any reading, dissemination, distribution, copying, or
other use of this message or its attachment(s) is prohibited. If you have
received this message in error, please notify the sender immediately and
delete this message. If the disclaimer can't be applied, take no action.
References
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New Package Notification
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Subject: OPRA Request C246885
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Good morning Ms. Akturk.
I represent the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) in the
above matters. You should have received your response to the above OPRA
request yesterday. Please confirm you have received it and whether you
have any issues opening it. We apologize for the delay in processing your
request.
Also, please advise if you would be willing to withdraw the GRC complaint
in the matter in light of the NJDOT's response to your OPRA request.
Thank you.
Jennifer R. Jaremback
Deputy Attorney General, Division of Law
New Jersey Department of Law & Public Safety
Richard J. Hughes Justice Complex
25 Market Street
PO Box 112
Trenton, NJ 08625-0112
T: (609)376-3300
E-Mail: [email address]
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