Page 4 THE VILLADOM TIMES III • August 5, 2009
Ho-Ho-Kus
Borough pursues funding for walking path
by Jennifer Crusco The Ho-Ho-Kus Council recently endorsed a grant application to the Bergen County Open Space Trust Fund that would, if approved, provide the borough with $30,750 to create a walking path around the North Field. According to the resolution, the governing body would provide a dollar for dollar cash match for this project if the county approves the application. A borough official noted that there is no walking path available at North Field at this time. The triangular field, bounded by Route 17 and Hollywood Avenue on two sides, is not generally used by local students when school is in session. As a result, pedestrians would have more opportunities to use the walking path in that area than if one were installed at Lloyd Field. Preliminary plans call for the installation of a walkway around the perimeter of the North Field. A $61,500 proposal from Ho-Ho-Kus Borough Engineer David Hals includes $5,000 for soil erosion and sediment control, $5,250 for excavation, $43,750 for a six-inch thick shale stone path, and $7,500 for topsoil, fertilizer, and seed. The borough is considering the use of a special type of stone that is conducive to walking and would still allow water to percolate through the path. The matter of percolation is of interest as the North Field is the center of a community flood mitigation plan. The field will be used as a retention area for storm water until that water can drain into the Saddle River. The mitigation project will involve clearing and grading the property, which is owned by the board of education and maintained by the borough. The site will be leveled and the raised tennis courts will be removed. A multi-purpose field and a new softball field will be created on the property. According to the plans prepared by Hals, the project will take approximately 160 days. The construction will begin with the installation of filter barriers and stabilized construction access. The next step will be to clear, strip, and stockpile topsoil for the construction areas. Crews will then rough grade the field area and construct the ball fields. Topsoil and seed will be used to stabilize any disturbed areas. The final stage of the construction project will be the removal of temporary filter barriers. The plans also state that any disturbed area that will be left exposed for more than 30 days, but not subjected to construction traffic, will be temporarily seeded and mulched. If the weather does not permit temporary seeding, the area will be mulched and bound. After the rough grading phase, any areas that are subject to erosion will be seeded and mulched according to state standards. Driveways will be stabilized with crushed stone. In addition, the storm drainage outlets will be stabilized before the discharge points become operational. The borough has already received a $155,000 matching grant from the Bergen County Open Space Trust Fund for the field renovation and flood mitigation project. The bor-
ough will provide the other half of the funds for the work. FEMA funding has been requested. An engineering error made in the 1930s reportedly exacerbated the area’s flooding problem, leaving the culverts at Route 17 and West Saddle River Road at the same elevation. This situation causes the local stream to fill with silt, adding to the water problems. The board of education acquired North Field in 1966. In the 1970s, plans had been drawn up, indicating a proposal for a multi-sport complex and parking at the field, but no action was taken. In 1978, the school board agreed to lease several acres at the north end of the field to the borough. The tennis courts were constructed at that time. State regulations now preclude reconstruction of the courts at that location.
Good deed recognized
Rehan Scheffer, Mathew Mahler, and Brian Le recently received recognition from the Ho-Ho-Kus Borough Council for their decision to turn in an ATM card that had been issued by Valley National Bank. The three teens had found the card at the gazebo on the Ho-Ho-Kus Town Green. By coincidence, a bank executive was at borough hall when the boys arrived, and was able to handle the return of the card.
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