Page 12 THE VILLADOM TIMES III • November 2, 2011 Ho-Ho-Kus Residents bring water concerns to borough council by Jennifer Crusco Two Ho-Ho-Kus residents who have different water-related issues addressed the borough council last week. Cindy Tharayil told the council that construction on her neighbor’s property on Bridle Way has led to significant problems. She asserted that, due to the ongoing construction next door, she has water that flows across her property and has had muddy water in her swimming pool. Tharayil said she has spent over $18,000 to repair her foundation and add a berm to protect her property. The resident also claimed that a wall that did not appear on the construction plans “arose quickly” and three feet of backfill were added up to the property line. Tharayil expressed concern that the backfill would kill the trees on her property. She also asserted that the construction official “missed the need for variances” for the construction, and said she believes the threestory house exceeds the borough’s height allowance. Tharayil said she has sought relief from various individuals and boards, including the Bergen County Soil Conservation District, the Ho-Ho-Kus Zoning Board of Adjustment, and Ho-Ho-Kus Borough Engineer David Hals. “I’m not interested in making trouble,” Tharayil said. “I’m interested in getting the water to go away.” Mayor Thomas Randall told Tharayil that the water situation is unacceptable. “I’ve seen the pictures. You have my sympathy and my cooperation,” he said. Randall acknowledged that he is not an engineer and is not familiar with the construction plans. Answering Tharayil’s concerns that borough officials had not been quick in responding to her concerns, Randall said that borough employees are not supposed to take calls from residents. He also said the zoning board could not take action in this case. Returning to the question of the height of the new house, Tharayil noted that Bridle Way is a hill, and the new construction leaves her facing four garage doors, the upper stories of the new building, and the roof line. Randall said he would ask the administrator to follow up on the situation. Cheelcroft neighborhood resident Susan Robertson then presented the council with another water-related concern. Robertson said the problem that is not new, but has become more severe, involves water entering the basements of some properties on Sutton Drive, Hollis Drive, and Ackerman Avenue. She presented the council with residents’ letters regarding this issue, adding that citizens were asked to sign the letters only if they had water issues before Hurricane Irene arrived in August. Robertson said the underground drainage system in the neighborhood is approximately 75 years old, and becomes overwhelmed during heavy rains and melting snow. She asked the borough for help with a comprehensive solution. Mayor Randall told Robertson that Cheelcroft’s drainage system, which includes the seepage pits and piping installed by developer Harold W. Cheel, is private. At the time the Cheelcroft drainage system was installed, Randall added, the borough’s zoning regulations were not in place and that situation led to an ad hoc drainage plan. Randall added that the current situation appears to be similar to a problem other Cheelcroft neighbors had about 10 years ago. Commenting on the 10-year-old case of a collapsed pipe that led to sinkholes in the Cheelcroft neighborhood, Randall said each property owner owns the drainage systems on his or her own land. The mayor pointed out that, in the previous case, a group of affected homeowners got The Ho-Ho-Kus Police Department is now featuring special announcements that will be available to the public via Twitter. The link to Twitter may be found on the department’s website, www.hoho-kuspolice.com. Messages will cover Police offer announcements via Twitter various non-emergency situations, such as road closings and delayed school openings. Emergency information and other situations that affect the community will still be disseminated via Reverse 911. together and hired a contractor to install a new pipe. Robertson asked if she could contact someone who was involved in the previous situation. Randall responded that municipal officials would help the resident find the appropriate maps and information. He said the borough would contact its engineer for answers regarding this matter. Local Realtors refer to the Cheelcroft neighborhood as an English Tudor village. It became known as the first development in the eastern United States that had a recognized architect design each individual home. According to Sue F. Hudson’s 1953 book, “Background of Ho-Ho-Kus History,” Cheel began his development in 1927 on 13 acres that extended north and west from Hollywood and Sheridan avenues. Part of the property had been a farm owned by Johannes Ackerman, while another section belonged to Andrew Zabriskie. The Zabriskie property remained in that family until the early 1930s. That parcel was sold several times before Cheel was able to purchase it. In 1929, six houses were built and sold and the new neighborhood took on the Cheelcroft name. Despite the ensuing Depression, Cheelcroft continued to grow. Cheel later bought additional land near the original parcel and, by the early 1950s, Cheelcroft included nearly 100 acres. Over his career, Cheel built approximately 450 homes, several hundred of which were dubbed Cheelcroft homes. He died in 1958.