Villadom Times Weekly Local Newspaper

May 12, 2010 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • Page 11 Midland Park Now that construction has slowed down in Midland Park as it has elsewhere throughout the country, and the need for building permits and inspections has decreased, the mayor and council want the zoning ofﬁcer to spend more time in property maintenance and ordinance enforcement. Zoning ofﬁcer John Wittekind attended Zoning ofﬁcer to review property maintenance a recent council meeting and was asked to come up with recommendations to upgrade existing ordinances to support his efforts. Wittekind will be reporting regularly to the governing body on his monthly activities and attend council meetings periodically to evaluate his progress. Wittekind’s position is shared with the Borough of Allendale, with 20 hours spent in Midland Park. Councilman Nick Papapietro said property maintenance is important not only to maintain property values but also as a matter of pride. “We want the town to look nice,” Papapietro said. “People spend money to upkeep their properties, and that makes Midland Park an attractive town. In turn this attracts people who want to move into town because it is a well-maintained,” he added. Papapietro said that the zoning ofﬁcer can bring problem areas to the property ownner’s attention in hopes of a prompt resolution. “Sometimes there is a reason, such as sickness in the family. We want him to work with the residents to correct the problem,” Papapietro said. He added that it’s particularly important to effect improvements in the gateways to the town Midland Park residents and businesses have until June 1 to replace their sidewalks without having to pay for a building permit. A dozen property owners have taken advantage of the incentive since it was put into place last September, according to Borough Clerk Addie Hanna, who issues the permits. “Several residents who walk regularly around town complained about the condition of our sidewalks,” said Borough Administrator Michelle Dugan. “The council thought it would be better if property owners replaced them voluntarily instead of under summons conditions, so we came up with the incentive,” she added. Cracked, raised, uneven, and missing sections of slabs present a hazard to pedestrians and a potential liability to the Residents and businesses respond to waived fee offer property owner. According to borough ordinances, sidewalk repairs and maintenance are the responsibility of the property owner. Hanna said that the permit fee can be as high as $150, depending on the length of the sidewalk and whether the apron is replaced as well. The Department of Public Works is looking to institute an annual sidewalk inspection program that would identify the worse offenders and follow up until the problem is resolved, but no regulations are in place as of yet, according to DPW Foreman Rudy Gnehm. Sidewalk repair permits may be obtained in the Borough Clerk’s ofﬁce between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. and the main streets. “It’s not a nice reﬂection on the town, where most people take pride in their properties and do take the initiative to keep them well maintaied,” he said. Wittekind said that in some instances, the process takes time. He said that in the case of residents who have done improvements to their homes without the required permits, he works with them to bring them into compliance. “People are looking to stay in their homes; they just have to do it the right way,” he said. If he notices a violation and issues a warning, the property owner has ﬁve days to contact him to discuss a remedy. If it is not taken care of, then he issues a summons. “I ususally get cooperation,” Wittekind said. NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED LEADER IN CONTEMPORARY VARICOSE VEIN TREATMENT CHUBACKVEINCENTER A NEW STANDARD OF VEIN CARE 265 Ackerman Ave. Ridgewood, NJ 201-693-4330 presents... Presents 2ND ANNUAL SPRING GALA PERFORMANCE Saturday, June 5th, 1:00 PM & 7:00 PM At Berrie Center for the Arts, Ramapo College. ��