Villadom Times Weekly Newpaper Online-June 10, 2009 Issue

Mahwah June 10, 2009 THE VILLADOM TIMES IV • Page 3 Residents continue to debate closing of Olney Road by Frank J. McMahon A Mahwah couple who are residents of Stephens Lane, a road that borders the A&P Shopping Center on Franklin Turnpike, continued to question the township council on its intention to re-close Olney Road at a recent public meeting of the governing body. Olney Road runs from north to south between Miller Road and Stephens Lane. The safety of Olney Road for through traffic has been the subject of controversy in the township for several years. Joseph and Ellen Sinopoli told the council there are several other roads in the township, such as Alcott Road, Bartholf Lane, West Crescent Avenue, Highlands Place, and South Railroad Avenue that have narrow widths similar to Olney Road and yet through traffic is permitted on those streets. They also questioned why the council hired a traffic consultant to prepare a report on the safety of Olney Road when the township’s police department had prepared a 2004 report about the same road that indicated there were no safety issues on that road. Joseph Sinopoli told the council the police department has advised him that no summonses have been issued on that roadway and there have been no accidents reported there. “So, again, I question what are the safety issues?” he asked. Mahwah Township Attorney Terry Bottinelli responded that the roadway width does not meet the state’s Residential Site Improvement Standards of 22 feet without parking, or 28 feet with a parking lane, and the New Jersey Department of Transportation recommended that the road should have limited use because of the narrowness of the section just south of Stephens Lane. In addition, he said the traffic engineering consultant retained by the township supported the NJDOT position and the township’s engineer concurred with the recommendation of the traffic consultant. Bottinelli explained that the traffic consultant was retained because Superior Court Judge Jonathan N. Harris said the township needed independent engineering input to confirm there was a legitimate safety issue in that location when he ordered the road to be re-opened in September 2008. Council President John DaPuzzo also explained that, when the planning board considered the site plan for the Cherry Ridge Estates homes on Stephens Lane, there was testimony and findings of fact that Olney Road would always be closed. “So if you lived on Olney Road (at that time), you had the inference that the road would never be opened,” DaPuzzo said. Councilman Samuel Alderisio, who was the township’s police chief at the time of the planning board hearings on Cherry Ridge Estates, also advised that both he and the fire chief at the time felt the road was too narrow and too dangerous to be open as a through street. Darryl Rehill, a resident of Snow Drive, which is a curving road that connects to Olney Road, complained that she now finds it very dangerous coming out of Snow Drive onto Olney Road. She claimed that New York State motorists use Olney Road to get to the A&P Shopping Center. Joseph Sinopoli reiterated his opposition to closing the road. “In my personal opinion, it is a public road in the Township of Mahwah, and I am a resident in the Township (continued on page 21) �� rennials �� Pe �� grand opening �� 6-3-09 joan/janine RamapoNurseryColor3x2(6-3-09) 3 x 2” Sparkle at your Wedding, Prom, or Graduation Y teeth can our The Sun is Shining and So Should Y Teeth! our �� ~A Better Life through a Better Education ~ Is hearing loss dragging you down? Visit our ofﬁce and try Dual for FREE! Call ZOOM! Professional Teeth Whitening 50% off Now only $300 valid thru June 30, 2009 + tax (originally $600) 6-10-09 joan/janine JEI_Academy3x3(6-10-09) 3 x 3” 201-934-7755 today to learn more. © 2008 Oticon, Inc. All rights reserved. 153 Franklin Turnpike • Mahwah, NJ 07430 www.mahwahcosmeticdentist.com Dr. Jeffrey Wechsler 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 201-529-5999 ADVANCED HEARING SERVICES, INC. Thomas J. Higgins, BC-HIS*, ACA** 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 ��