Mount Olive mayor provides update on Budd Lake Beach redevelopment amid ongoing delays
MOUNT OLIVE TOWNSHIP, N.J. (Morris County) — Mount Olive Township Mayor Joe Nicastro has provided an update on the long-delayed redevelopment of Budd Lake Beach, outlining the challenges that have slowed the project and the steps still needed before construction can move forward.
According to Nicastro, the township remains committed to revitalizing the beach despite delays involving design requirements, state permits and utility relocation. The project, which has been under discussion since 2020, includes significant infrastructure improvements intended to make the beach safer and more accessible.
“The redevelopment of Budd Lake Beach has faced significant challenges. Despite those challenges, our pursuit continues to revitalize the beach,” Nicastro said.
The planned improvements extend beyond the addition of a gazebo and parking lot repaving. Nicastro said the project also includes upgrades to the beach’s entrance and exit, construction of a shoulder along Route 46 to improve access, expanded water and sewer infrastructure to support bathrooms, and the relocation of utility poles.
Completing those improvements requires coordination with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Department of Transportation, Highlands Council and Jersey Central Power & Light.
According to Nicastro, the design, permitting and utility requirements have contributed to significant delays, but township officials continue working to advance the project.
Planning began in August 2020, when township staff started internal discussions about major improvements to Budd Lake Beach. The proposed project was presented to the mayor and Township Council during budget deliberations in January 2021, and funding was made available that March to begin engineering work.
Preliminary concept plans were developed in June 2021. Between April 2022 and March 2023, the township finalized the concept design following stakeholder meetings, traffic studies and preliminary discussions with outside agencies.
The permitting process encountered a setback March 29, 2023, when the township submitted a Minor Driveway Access Permit application to NJDOT. The application was denied approximately one month later because the state required a Major Access Permit instead.
The township submitted its Major Driveway Access Permit application Feb. 2, 2024, and NJDOT deemed it complete Feb. 15. However, final approval was not granted until Oct. 22, 2025.
Following that approval, the township contacted JCP&L on Nov. 21, 2025, to begin coordinating the relocation of a utility pole that must be moved before the shoulder along Route 46 can be widened.
During the first meeting with JCP&L on Feb. 4, 2026, the utility company indicated that NJDOT approval would be required for a highway closure to complete the work. JCP&L subsequently submitted its permit application to NJDOT on Sept. 24, 2026.
Nicastro said the township is now awaiting approval of that permit, which would allow JCP&L to relocate the utility pole. Once the relocation is completed, the township plans to solicit bids for the site work.
The mayor acknowledged frustration over the project’s lengthy timeline and emphasized that the infrastructure improvements remain a priority.
“I understand residents’ frustration with how long this process has taken. I share the desire to see the beach improvements completed. These infrastructure upgrades are essential to creating a safer, more accessible beach, and we will continue working through each remaining step to make that happen,” Nicastro said.
A construction start date and anticipated completion date have not been announced. The next steps depend on NJDOT approval of the utility relocation work and the township’s subsequent bidding process.
