Mahwah January 27, 2010 THE VILLADOM TIMES IV • Page 7 Truck weight ordinance revised and adopted by Frank J. McMahon Despite the objections of the Pilot Corporation, the Mahwah Council has voted 4-0 to approve an ordinance that limits the weight of trucks that can travel on Ridge Road between Macarthur Boulevard and West Ramapo Avenue. Prior to the adoption, Mahwah Township Attorney Terry Bottinelli amended the measure to separate a section pertaining to Ridge Road that restricts the vehicle weight on the northern part of that road to a maximum of six tons, from an existing section in the code that includes the entire length of East Mahwah Road from Airmount Road to the Rockland County border, and the entire length of West Airmount Road extending from Island Road to Franklin Turnpike, with a vehicle weight restriction of four tons. Pilot Corporation’s objections were expressed by attorney James Lott, who asked the council to table the proposal until the differing opinions of the engineers for the township and Pilot could be reconciled. “In my opinion, the ordinance is ill conceived and does not address the issues on Ridge Road,” Lott told the council. He claimed there are several errors in the report by Mahwah Township Engineer Michael Kelly concerning the data collected regarding the number of truck accidents on Ridge Road and the sight distance on that road. “I don’t think the council’s action is supported by law,” Lott added. Lott pointed out that a recent township application for state aid to widen Ridge Road indicates that only two percent of the traffic on Ridge Road consists of truck traffic over five tons, but the new ordinance indicates that vehicles over five tons on that road account for a total of 7.2 percent of the traffic there. “The contradictory and widely-discrepant reports of heavy truck volume on Ridge Road raise additional questions about the reliability of the Boswell study that supports the ordinance,” Lott told the council, adding that those questions must be resolved before the council takes any action on the ordinance. Lott said his traffic engineer, Joseph Staigar, disagrees with the Boswell report. The attorney asserted that the ordinance is an “impermissible exercise of the municipality’s power to impose the weight limit and, in any case, would require the approval of the Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Transportation.” He claimed the ordinance is unreasonable, arbitrary, and discriminatory because it only applies to truck traffic on Ridge Road to and from Pilot’s property. Lott also argued that the exception in (continued on page 10) Ridgewood_5x3_4C_Ad_Layout 1 1/22/10 12:21 PM Page 1 Homler attains Eagle rank Nicholas Homler, son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Homler of Mahwah, recently attained the rank of Eagle Scout with the Boy Scouts of America. He is a member of Troop 258 charted by the Mahwah Elks #1941. For his Eagle Scout project, Homler built a 32-foot by four-foot platform and ramp to replace the crumbling steps to the caboose at the Mahwah Museum. In addition, he power washed the adjacent ramp and repaired various items around the property, and designed and made the Mahwah station sign. Homler began his career in Boy Scouts as a Tiger Cub in 1998. While a member of Troop 258, he has held the leadership positions of senior patrol leader, troop scribe, and den chief. He is a member of the Order of the Arrow. A Mahwah High School graduate, Homler is currently attending Marist College in Poughkeepsie, New York. He is studying radio, TV, and film. At the NE LASER VEIN INSTITUTE, our in-office laser procedures are minimally invasive and extremely effective. Benefits include: To learn more, call today! 201-913-8063 • Minimal discomfort • Resume most normal activities immediately • Varicose vein procedures covered by Medicare and most insurance plans Glen Ridge, NJ • West Paterson, NJ • Ridgewood, NJ Ned K. Majid, MD, FACS Board Certified Cardiothoracic & Vascular Surgeon Voted Top Doctor New Jersey Magazine, 2007 & 2009 www.NELaserVeinInstitute.com