Page 10 THE VILLADOM TIMES III • November 24, 2010 Ho-Ho-Kus Chamber working to find solution to parking crunch by Jennifer Crusco This spring, as the Ho-Ho-Kus Chamber of Commerce set a revitalization/reorganization session, one of the issues on the table was the availability of parking in the borough’s downtown. The Chamber now believes part of the answer may lie at the borough’s train station parking lot, and the organization is poised to ask the borough council for the use of approximately 25 spaces in that lot. In addition, time limits are being explored. Parking was a major topic of discussion when the HoHo-Kus Chamber organized two decades ago, and remains an issue at present. Parking spaces are limited, and the amount of time people are permitted to remain in those spaces is restricted. The lack of available space poses problems for business owners, employees, and customers. The Ho-Ho-Kus Chamber’s recent parking survey asked local business owners about the time restrictions they believe should be permitted in various sections of the downtown. Respondents were asked to comment on a suggestion that would call for 30-minute parking on Sheridan Avenue and Franklin Turnpike by the stores and angled parking behind the Ho-Ho-Kus Inn, with the option of onehour parking in the angled spaces on Orvil Court. Onehour parking would be permitted by North Maple Avenue and Sycamore Avenue, and three-hour parking would be permitted on Warren Avenue, Carlton, the section of Franklin Turnpike near the post office, Brookside Avenue, First Street, and Cliff Street. The survey notes that handicapped parking spaces would be requested throughout the area. Those surveyed were asked what the parking limitations should be in the various areas listed above, and where they and their employees currently park. Survey results were not available at press time. In 2001, borough resident Stanley Kober, who was then active with the Ho-Ho-Kus Chamber, produced a report on the downtown parking situation. Kober presented pros and cons of nine alternatives that were viable at that time. Since 2001, the borough has undergone the streetscape renovations, which added a handful of parking spaces, and the parking lot at borough hall has been restricted to those who are conducting official business. The ordinance pertaining to the borough hall lot restrictions was approved earlier this year. Borough officials view shared services as ‘way to go’ Ho-Ho-Kus may be among Bergen County’s smaller municipalities in terms of population, but borough officials have forged multiple relationships to ensure that residents receive all the services they need. Commenting on the borough’s many inter-local service agreements, Ho-Ho-Kus Mayor Thomas Randall said, “It’s a long list, but it’s one that’s going to grow. This is the way to go.” Randall pointed out that the borough’s inter-local agreements with other municipalities allow the borough to maximize the benefits of available personnel and equipment, while keeping the cost of services economical for taxpayers. “The mayors in Northwest Bergen meet regularly, and the topic of shared services is always on the top of the list of discussions,” Randall added. He noted that the scope of sharing could extend to regionalization or to joint purchases. In 1993, the Borough of Ho-Ho-Kus and the Borough of Waldwick jointly purchased a tub grinder to reduce the volume of leaves before they are trucked out of the area. That agreement is still in effect. Ho-Ho-Kus Borough Administrator Don Cirulli noted that the borough participates in multiple inter-local agreements with Bergen County and with various nearby municipalities. Ho-Ho-Kus works with Ridgewood on the periodic bacteriological analysis of the water supply and on the adult health clinics, which include flu shots and blood pressure screenings. HoHo-Kus and Upper Saddle River share the services of a tax assessor and a recreation department director. Allendale and Ho-HoKus share a municipal court administrator, and Paramus and Ho-Ho-Kus share a chief financial officer. The borough also participates in cooperative agreements with Bergen County for social services, with Midland Park for gasoline and diesel fuel, and with Fair Lawn for the services of a health officer. Ho-HoKus also works with Waldwick on the Well Baby Clinic, which focuses on childhood immunizations. “The Borough of Ho-Ho-Kus belongs to the Northwest Bergen Shared Services Group, a consortium of 13 municipalities,” Cirulli noted. “The administrators, in some cases ‘managers,’ of these 13 towns meet monthly to share information, discuss situations that have, or will have, an effect upon our activities and, most importantly, we discuss ways to save money. The 13 municipalities in the group are: Allendale, Franklin Lakes, Glen Rock, Ho-Ho-Kus, Mahwah, Midland Park, Oakland, Ramsey, Ridgewood, Saddle River, Upper Saddle River, Waldwick, and Wyckoff. We constantly are arranging shared service agreements among ourselves. Currently, the only shared service agreement among all 13 of the towns in our group is the annual repaving of streets/repairing of curbs which saves a great deal of money for each of us. The Borough of Ramsey kindly acts as the lead agency in gathering the information from us and going out to bid on our behalf.” J. CRUSCO SHOP LOCAL Support Your Allendale Merchants Allendale Chamber of Commerce Visit us at www.AllendaleChamber.com Spotlights on new and existing members on a rotating basis. Find out about upcoming events and goings on in Allendale