Villadom Times Weekly Newpaper Online-September 30, 2009 Issue

September 30, 2009 THE VILLADOM TIMES IV • Page 5 Mahwah Experts testify on Skytop trafﬁc, water supply by Frank J. McMahon At its last public meeting, the Mahwah Planning Board continued to hear expert testimony about a plan to subdivide a four-lot residential property between Wyckoff Avenue and Skytop Drive. The nearly eight-acre site would be divided into seven single-family residential lots, which would include two existing lots with existing dwellings. Plans for the property, which is owned by George and Deborah Kayal, include the construction of a cul-de-sac extending from Skytop Drive westward to provide access to five of the lots. Each of those lots must be at least 40,000 square feet in size. The access to the other two lots, one of which contains the existing Kayal home that will remain at 575 Wyckoff Avenue, will continue to be from Wyckoff Avenue. A traffic expert testified about the traffic impact of the proposed subdivision and a professional engineer discussed how the applicant might be able to provide sufficient water flow in the area to provide adequate fire protection for the new homes that would be built there. Traffic expert Hal Simoff told the board that his traffic counts, taken during peak morning and evening traffic periods, indicated a minimal increase in traffic on Skytop Drive. He said two to three vehicles per hour would be added to the 12 vehicles that now travel through the area. He described that change as a very low intensity considering that road has a capacity of 3,000 vehicles per hour. Simoff said the level of service on Skytop Drive, where it would intersect with the proposed cul-de-sac leading to the new lots in this subdivision, is now at level A. He explained there would be no degradation in that level of service with five new single-family homes built on the new cul-de-sac. Simoff also told the board the sight distances on Skytop Drive from the point of the intersection with the proposed cul-de-sac would be 500 feet to the south and 300 to 400 feet to the north, more than two times the 200-foot safety standard required by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. He said the geometry of the roadway would create no problems in the area, even if the cul-de-sac were moved several feet to the south to allow for a planting area between the residential properties to the north of the site and the newly subdivided residential lots on the new cul-de-sac. The expert also told the board the subdivision would not increase traffic on Wyckoff Avenue, and he offered his opinion that the idea to have the cul-de-sac extend from Skytop Drive and not extend all the way to Wyckoff Avenue is the best plan. “It would not change the character of the neighborhood or create any adverse design problems,” he said. The professional engineer, Michael McGowan, discussed his recent conversation with the township’s water utility engineer concerning the water flow in the area of the proposed subdivision. He said he learned that the existing water flow in the area is 380 gallons per minute (gpm), with an 11 pounds per square inch (psi) pressure, while the flow needed to meet the state’s residential site improvement standards for adequate fire protection is 750 gpm at 20 psi. McGowan advised that the water utility engineer told him that “looping” the water main system in the area (connecting it to the Wyckoff Avenue water main), would increase the flow to 670 gpm and 20 psi, which would be a significant improvement, but still would not attain the 750 gpm required to meet the RSIS. He also told the board the utility engineer suggested the size of the mains could be increased to improve the flow, and the water mains could be cleaned in order to get the flow up to 750 gpm. According to McGowan, looping the water line to Wyckoff Avenue would eliminate the existing precarious condition in which a 1.5- or 2-inch private water main that is more than 80 years old services a few houses on Wyckoff Avenue. The owners of those homes would be responsible to replace the main if it were to break down. Looping would also allow Mahwah to extend its sewer line down Wyckoff Avenue, something that was stopped during the last sewer project because of the possibility of damaging that water line. The board ultimately decided, with McGowan’s agreement on behalf of his clients, that the township’s water utility engineer would conduct a more complete analysis of the water system in this area in order to resolve the water flow issue, and the public hearing was carried to the board’s Oct. 12 meeting. About 10 neighbors have hired attorney John D’Anton to oppose the plan for several reasons, including their claim that there could be potential drainage problems and their belief that the cul-de-sac should be brought in from Wyckoff Avenue to avoid creating an “inherently dangerous” intersection with Skytop Drive, and to minimize the loss of trees adjacent to their properties. Robert Inglima, the attorney for the Kayals, claims the proposed cul-de-sac is a better situation for a residential neighborhood than the alternate being suggested by the objectors because creating an intersection on Wyckoff Avenue, which he said has a significant curvature in that area, would be a worse alignment. Inglima said all the lots being created by the subdivision meet the requirements of the township’s zoning ordinance. He has emphasized that his clients, who will continue to live on the property with other members of their family, are trying to create an attractive, variance-free subdivision. �� Woman’s Tie Shoe �� ward-winning decorator Susan Tenny, C.I.D., provides a complete in-home (or in-ofﬁce) interior decorating service by bringing thousands of samples of drapery fabrics, shades and blinds, furniture, ﬂoor coverings, wall coverings, lighting and accessories directly to her clients. She then is able to design the room in the client’s own lighting and existing furnishings. “Working this way tends to be very comfortable for the client as they can really see what works in the room, plus it’s a huge time-saving convenience.” Susan believes that your home should be all about you; your functional needs, your personal taste and style, your culture, your loves. “We don’t charge design fees or hourly rates nor do we have ‘minimums.’ I pride myself on my ability to work within my clients’ budget, custom designing the room for function, comfort, beauty, and ﬂow. By taking careful measurements and Susan Tenny making ﬂoor plans, we avoid expensive mistakes. We handle all the details and personally supervise all installations and deliveries. We follow up with our clients afterwards, as their complete satisfaction is of the utmost importance. “My clients are working directly with a small business owner who has the buying power of a large established company behind her,” Susan adds. “Unlike a store, we have no inventory or loyalty to a particular manufacturer. We listen to our clients and put their needs ﬁrst as we make our choices from hundreds of vendors.” Susan is ready to help with any size project. “No project is too small or too big.” Call (201) 327-2207 for a complimentary 90 minute consultation. A INTERIORS by Decorating Den Comes to You �� WE’RE BACK Halloween Store �� HIGH Choose from �� WAYS thousands of costumes & accessories Dogs - Infants - Kids - Teens - Adults Funny to Scary - Conservative to Sexy We Have It All AVOID all purchases through OCTOBER 7, 2009 We Accept All Competitors Coupons • Only one coupon per customer 15% OFF www.MerryHalloween.com 201-891-9666 693 Wyckoff Avenue (Entrance by Wyckoff YMCA) 201-644-0285 350 Ramapo Valley Rd. (Rt.202) Oakland, NJ (Coppertree Mall) Wyckoff, NJ ��