Page 6 THE VILLADOM TIMES IV • June 1, 2011 Mahwah Council approves access to Ramsey ‘fun center’ by Frank J. McMahon The Mahwah Planning Board has approved the construction of an access driveway from Constantine Drive into a 15-acre site in Ramsey where that borough has approved a site plan for The Castle Fun Center to build a recreational facility. The recreational facility will include a miniature golf course built around a castle motif, an outdoor battery operated go-cart track, and a 6,550 square foot building where laser maze tag games will be conducted, and a video game arcade and snack bar will be located. The two way driveway to the site will extend from Constantine Drive, which is a one way road leading to the Home Depot property, and is one of the two accesses to that property on Route 17. A direct driveway access from Route 17 to the recreational site was not possible because that site is 15 feet lower than the highway. According to testimony provided to the planning board by Daniel LaMothe, a professional engineer hired by the applicant, the width of the driveway access to the recreation site will be 30 feet. The width at the entrance to that driveway access will be 50 feet. The distance from Route 17 to the driveway access will be about 110 feet, which he said would be sufficient because vehicles must already slow down to make the right turn into Constantine Drive from Route 17. LaMothe also agreed to increase the curb radius at that access driveway. He advised that two signs will be placed opposite that access driveway indicating that Constantine Drive is a one way road into the Home Depot property, and that left turns are prohibited when leaving the recreational facility. Jay Troutman, a traffic expert hired by the applicant, also advised that the curb at the intersection of Constantine Drive and Route 17 will be improved by increasing the radius of that curb from 25 feet to 40 feet. Troutman said signage will be added on Route 17 to warn motorists of the upcoming intersection. ������������������������������ ������������������������������� ���������������������������� �������������������������� ������������������������������ 35 ������������������������������� �������������������������� � ����������������� ������������������ ��������� ������ �� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �� � � � � � �� � � � � � � � � � �� � � � � � � � � � � � � ������������� � �������������������������� � ���������� �� According to Troutman, motorists will visit the site from Route 17 North and turn right into this driveway access to a 60-space parking lot and leave by that driveway access, turn right into the Home Depot parking lot, and then turn left to reach Route 17 North. Several planning board members voiced concerns about the safety of the access to the site, where Troutman estimated there could be an additional 40 vehicle trips a day. Those board members also expressed their disappointment that the New Jersey Department of Transportation has refused to redesign the intersection of Route 17 and Constantine Drive to improve safety. Board member Jeremiah Crean cautioned the applicant that one of their customers is going to get hurt at this access driveway if the NJDOT does not improve it. Two members of the board, Ward Donigian and Charles Jandris, voted against the approval of the site access based on safety, drainage, and traffic circulation concerns. Brian Leentjes, the owner of operator of the recreation facility, who has been operating a similar facility in Chester, New York for 18 years, advised that he will have up to six employees at the site, many of whom will be under the driving age. As a result, those employees will be dropped off at the site. In addition, the owner of the office building property across Constantine Drive has agreed to permit overflow parking on that site on weekends. The approval includes the condition that a tenant application be filed by the owner of the property where off-site parking for the recreational facility will be permitted, and that certain waivers granted by the approval would be subject to the approval of the township engineer. In December 2010, the Ramsey Board of Adjustment approved a site plan for the applicant after four public hearings where various concerns about the project, such as noise pollution and adequate parking space, were addressed and bumper boats were eliminated from the request. That approval included a variance for a 60 square foot sign that will be 35 feet high to identify the site, and required that fencing be added around the amusement area, battery operated go-carts be used, and the vegetative brush be cleared from the corner of Constantine Drive and Route 17 to improve visibility. It also required that optional helmets be provided for go-carts drivers, and the hours of the operation will be between 10 a.m. and midnight with the last tee time for miniature golf to be 11 p.m. 3-16-11 pat/janine