December 9, 2009 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • Page 3 Midland Park Work has begun on the new outdoor basketball courts in Midland Park adjacent to the DePhillips Center, but some neighbors are unhappy that their input had not been sought before the project was engineered and bid out as they had been promised. They also objected to a proposal to erect a canopy over one of the courts. Several Woodside Avenue residents attended a meeting last week with Mayor Joseph Monahan, Councilmen Bernie Holst and Scott Pruiksma, Borough Administrator Michelle Dugan and DPW Supervisor Rudy Gnehm to express chagrin that the plans for the project had not been shared with them and that their concerns had not been addressed. They complained that the new project is an expansion of the existing use of the area which will attract greater activity much closer to their homes, create more noise and not remedy but possibly increase drainage problems in their back yards. Borough Engineer Michael DeSena said that the footprint of the paved area would be the same and there would be no increase in runoff from the new paving, with surface water directed to existing catch basins. Additionally, a dirt Basketball court neighbors want drainage addressed berm has been provided along the back fence. He also said that existing lighting by the courts would be removed, with only one fixture remaining by the parking lot for safety. The project, funded with a grant of $92,000 from the Bergen County Open Space and Recreation Trust Fund and matching funds from the borough, includes providing two basketball courts with an asphalt surface and striping surrounded by a 10-ft fence. A “college level” court will run north-south and a smaller junior court will run east-west. They were shifted back closer from the existing paved surface to the neighbors’ fences to accommodate parking for six cars and a handicapped space. The new fencing will be set back 3-ft from the property line of the Woodside Avenue homes, and no buffer is provided. There is a 12-ft. side yard setback. Monahan said that the courts were being repaved because they were in a state of disrepair with potholes and cracks and uneven surfaces. He said the engineer had addressed the drainage relative to the courts, and that other drainage was not within his scope. Betty Bosland of Woodside Avenue said that the resi- Ruth Bellio, 74, formerly of Midland Park was struck by a car and killed in Virginia on Nov. 28. She was attempting to leave flowers at the site where her granddaughter, Danielle Bellio, 25, had been killed on Nov. 21, when her car struck a tree on Springfield Road in Henrico County. Ruth Bellio’s husband, 79-year-old Joseph Bellio, was hit by the same vehicle that claimed his wife’s life. He was being treated for injuries at Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center. According to a report in the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Mr. Bellio did not want to park on the curve, but Mrs. Bellio convinced him to do so. She fell down an embank- Former resident dies in accident in Virginia ment after exiting the vehicle, and her husband attempted to help her up. They then picked up the flowers and walked to the road where they were hit. The curves on Springfield Road have reportedly been on the Virginia Department of Transportation’s list of improvements for several years. The news report stated that Danielle Bellio was killed in a police chase, after she ran a red light on West Broad Street Road. A family member said Danielle had been drinking. The family moved to Virginia from New Jersey about five years ago. dents’ drainage problems should be addressed now as part of the overall project before the new courts are installed. She said she had brought those concerns forth to the governing body in June when she found out about the proposed courts. Several years ago the borough corrected a drainage problem at the end of Woodside Avenue and at the high school baseball field with a grant awarded to install a bike path. “You have been aware of our drainage problem. It was not pursued any further. I am asking for reconsideration of the scope of the court project and that a solution to our problems be addressed,” said James Trommelen of Woodside Avenue. He noted that there had been only one court at the location in question, with the rest of the paved area used for parking. Gnehm said that there had been no formal complaints about drainage in the 11 years he has held the DPW supervisor position. Bosland said that the residents had adjusted to the problems at their own expense, installing sump pumps and decks to avoid the wet areas. Holst said the town would complete the project and keep an eye on the drainage issue and document the problems to address them in the future. The contract to do the work was awarded to SCS Contractors of Ramsey on Oct. 22 at a bid (continued on page 10) W/COUPON • Exp 12/31/09 • Not Combinable www.VacationRentalsRetreats.com Come stay in our CATSKILL MOUNTAIN SKI RETREAT. Stay 2 nights, get the 3RD NIGHT FREE! 12-2-09 CirinoLandscpVacaRental2x2.5 2col x 2-1/2” Pat... from Janine