Waldwick August 17, 2011 THE VILLADOM TIMES III • Page 9 Waldwick will expand the scope of its Ho-Ho-Kus Brook soil erosion project to incorporate the brook maintenance concerns of a Wyckoff Avenue resident. Permit applications to the state Department of Environmental Protection will include the area of the Wyckoff Avenue bridge near Dow Avenue. John D’Elia of Wyckoff Avenue told the borough council last week that a substantial accumulation of debris is building up under the bridge, which is adjacent to his house. “There are now only 4 feet to the bottom of the bridge. Even a 10-ft. willow tree has grown in the middle of the Flood control project to include Wyckoff Avenue bridge stream. It will be a hazard to the people in the area if we get hit with another hurricane even close to Floyd,” D’Elia said. “We were hit pretty hard then, and the bridge had been reconstructed just prior to (Tropical Storm) Floyd, and the space to the bottom of the stream was 8-10 ft,. Now it’s only 4 ft.,” he added. The resident said that the problem was addressed several years ago by bringing in a backhoe to flatten out the obstructions, not by removing them. “It elevates the bottom of the stream and decreases the space through which the stream may flow. It’s serious, and it’s getting worse year after year,” D’Elia said. Musical mavens Waldwick youngsters wrapped up their last week at Curiosity Shop’s enrichment program held at the Village School in Waldwick. The program provides an array of different activities such as cooking, guitar, art, science, crafts, gym, etc. The program is for ages 3-13. For additional information, visit the Curiosity Shop website at www.usrcuriosityshop.com or contact Irene FitzGerald at (201) 934-7837. “It won’t be a big deal to expand the scope of the (DEP) permits. It’s in the same area as Mr. Hansen,” said Borough Administrator Gary Kratz. He added that he would be meeting this week with Village of Ridgewood officials on that matter in the Dow/South Dow avenues area. Michael Hansen had appeared at a July council meeting to ask that the brook be shored up and cleaned behind his home, where the stream also abuts Ridgewood homes. D’Elia suggested that the rickrack along the brook’s banks be encased in mesh to prevent erosion. Kratz said that the bridge is under the jurisdiction of the county, and it was their decision how to construct the bridge. He said, however, that to remedy current problems the first step would be to get the necessary state permits to do the work, and that would be under the municipality’s jurisdiction. Kratz had said previously that permits and the engineering fees to get them can run between $25,000 and $30,000. Susan D’Elia asked if the improvements could be done periodically. Kratz said that the permits are valid only for a finite time, so the permitting process would have to be repeated when and if the problem resurfaces. “We don’t want to be flooded again,” said Susan D’Elia, who indicated that her home had three feet of water from Floyd. John D’Elia said that an existing berm adjacent to his property seems to be deteriorating and may permit water to go around his property and damage his neighbor’s. He speculated that that water is the runoff from the high school and the Forum School’s fields. Kratz said the Forum School’s runoff is piped into the brook.