Mahwah July 29, 2009 THE VILLADOM TIMES IV • Page 3 Neighbors oppose Skytop Drive subdivision by Frank J. McMahon Several neighbors of four lots comprising almost eight acres in a residential zone between Wyckoff Avenue and Skytop Drive in Mahwah have hired an attorney to oppose plans to subdivide their property into seven single-family residential lots. The plans for the property, which is owned by George and Deborah Kayal, include the construction of a cul-de-sac extending westward from Skytop Drive to provide access to five of the lots, each of which must be 40,000 square feet in size or larger. The access to the other two lots, one of which contains the existing Kayal home, will continue to be from Wyckoff Avenue. John D’Anton, the neighbors’ attorney, said his clients believe the cul-de-sac should be brought in from Wyckoff Avenue to avoid creating an “inherently dangerous” intersection with Skytop Drive, minimize the loss of trees adjacent to their properties, and avoid the need to vacate what he described as a “paper street” named Division Place that extends along the northern border of the property which is also the border between Mahwah and the Borough of Ramsey. D’Anton said his 10 clients, along with two or three more objectors not represented by him, are concerned about drainage problems and the maintenance of the proposed detention basins, the potential for light spillage onto their properties, the possibility the cul-de-sac might create two front yards for some of his clients, and the lack of water pressure in the area, which could cause problems for firefighters in case of a fire in one of the proposed homes. The paper street D’Anton referred to is a 25 foot wide lot that exists on the Mahwah tax map and extends from Skytop Drive to Wyckoff Avenue. D’Anton claims that “paper street” would have to be vacated by the Mahwah Council and, if it were vacated, half of that 25 foot wide strip of land, by law, would have to be given to each of the adjacent property owners, thereby reducing the size of the buildable lots on the Kayal property. Robert Inglima, the attorney for the Kayals, said he did not want to argue his case in the newspapers, but he did address two issues raised by the objectors. He claims there is no title issue with the lot that extends along the northern border of the Kayal property, which he described as a right-of-way, and he said he provided a title report to the planning board that shows the history of the ownership of that property going back to the early 1900s. He said there is no question that his clients own that property, and he emphasized that his clients have been paying property taxes on that land for years. Peter Scandariato, the attorney for the Mahwah Planning Board, advised Inglima at the board’s last meeting that the documents provided to the board do not confirm the legal status of that property and its ownership must be resolved before the next time the board considers this application. Inglima also said the proposed cul-desac intersection with Skytop Drive is the (continued on page 10) 875 Route 17 South, Ramsey 201-934-0020 ���������������������������������������������� ���������������������������������� ��������������������� � ����������������� �������� �������� ���������������������������������������� ���������������� Perennials ���������������������� ������ ���������������� �������������� � ���������������������������� ���������������������������� ������������������������ ��������������������� ���������������� ������ ���������������������������������������� �������� �������� ����������� ��������������� Daylily Happy Returns ���������������������������������������� ������������������������������������� SALE $898 (2 gal. - Reg. $1195) Finally... a hearing device you’ll want to wear. Visit our office and try Dual for FREE! Call 7-29-09 joan/janine RamapoNurseryColor3x2(7-29-09) 3 x 2” 201-934-7755 today to learn more. © 2008 Oticon, Inc. All rights reserved. Dual: Engineered for performance, designed for style. Dual is the most advanced hearing instrument on the market today. It helps you move beyond the frustrations of hearing loss, so you can experience life with the clearest, most comfortable and natural hearing possible in any listening situation. � The ultimate combination of state-of-the-art technology with a sleek design you want to wear ��Understand what others are saying in noisy situations � Use the telephone with ease and convenience � Watch TV at the same volume as everyone else It’s a hearing device you’ll really love to wear. 119 Interstate Shopping Center, Ramsey, New Jersey Intersection of Route 17 & Franklin Turnpike ADVANCED HEARING SERVICES, INC. www.HearNJ.com Supervising Licence. NJ Hearing Aid Dispenser * Licence # 743 *Board Certified by the National Board for Certification in Hearing Instrument Sciences. **American Conference of Audioprosthology Thomas J. Higgins, BC-HIS*, ACA**