May 2, 2012 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • Page 9 Wyckoff Residents express opinions regarding ShopRite by John Koster Wyckoff residents who are interested in the proposal for a new ShopRite supermarket in the township finally had a chance to speak at last week’s Wyckoff Planning Board meeting. About four-fifths of those citizens who spoke supported ShopRite as a new Wyckoff business. The hearing, which has included expert testimony from the applicant, Inserra ShopRite, and commercial opponents Stop & Shop and Hekemian Company, which owns nearby Boulder Run, have gone on for more than a year, and will probably continue into the summer. “I have yet to run into anyone in town who does not want a ShopRite built,” said Jim Donkersloot, a life-long resident of Wyckoff and member of the Wyckoff Board of Adjustment. “I would much rather have a supermarket in this location than apartments or a group of small shops.” Roberta Svarre, who served for six years on the Ridgewood Planning Board and has since moved to Wyckoff, said there was no lawful reason, based on her experience, to oppose construction at what was one the location of the Wyckoff A&P. “I think we’re looking at a supermarket site,” Svarre said. “It will be a source of ratables and will bring jobs to the community. It will also remove an eyesore from the town. I can see no objection to the application and I urge your support.” Bob Yudin, a former member of the Wyckoff Planning Board, the Wyckoff Board of Education and a 35-year member of the Wyckoff Volunteer Fire Department, admitted that an operational supermarket might bring some tangential business to his adjacent appliance and electronics store, but he said the impact on the entire township would also be favorable. “No one in this room has observed this site more than me,” Yudin said. He said he had studied traffic as a planner and engine company fire chief, and said no traffic problems would accrue from the new store that would cause serious safety problems. Concerns that a traffic jam at ShopRite might keep fire engines from reach an emergency, Yudin said, were “bogus.” He said that Wyckoff has three engine companies and that mutual aid agreements with Allendale and Mahwah would provide constant coverage in case of emergencies. “If we are to believe Stop & Shop, then I have a bridge to sell you,” Yudin said, waving a leaflet sent to neighbors which urged them to object to potential traffic problems. He called the leaflet a scare tactic to prolong opposition to ShopRite. Yudin, who has been in business in Wyckoff since 1970, reminded residents that two big supermarkets, Grand Union and A&P, had operated back to back for many years in sight of his own store, with two other smaller supermarkets in the township at the same time. “In all those years, traffic was never a problem,” Yudin said. “Traffic flowed nicely. The lot was never filled.” Yudin said that a strip mall that included a Division of Motor Vehicles office, which by itself sometimes attracted 1,000 cars a day, had operated for years when the A&P was in open. He said there had never been serious traffic troubles. He added that he is opposed to a traffic light at Greenwood Avenue, but said a left turn only lane would be an appropriate alternative. The suggested Greenwood Avenue traffic light, Wyckoff Planning Board members noted, is a Bergen County decision that is outside the purview of the Wyckoff Planning Board. “It’s going to be less traffic, not more traffic,” Yudin said. “They (Stop & Shop) don’t want competition. Everything else is subterfuge and smoke. I urge you to approve the application, and I hope the application will be unani- Wyckoff Township Committeeman Kevin Rooney and Police Chief Benjamin Fox joined the township administrator and police seniors and detectives in urging residents to become the eyes and ears of their neighborhoods – and above all to lock their cars, take car keys into their homes, and conceal valuables. “Crime goes up as the economy goes down,” said Rooney. “We feel it’s reaching epidemic proportions.” The meeting followed the most recent theft of a BMW from a Wyckoff driveway. In the last two months, Wyckoff has experienced the theft of at least five high-end imported late-model cars by thieves who spotted the keys in the ignitions or found them in consoles when the cars were unlocked. A number of homes have also been burglarized. “We’re seeing residents in the habit of leaving the keys in the cards overnight,” Rooney said. “We’re also seeing Officials urge residents to be watchful mous.” Those residents who oppose the application were divided. Some simply did not want a ShopRite in Wyckoff, while others said a smaller ShopRite with a different design and better traffic planning would be acceptable. “I think this is way too big,” said Richard Gordon, a resident opposed to the present plan. “This is just huge…I think they should build something smaller and more userfriendly.” “In 10 years Wyckoff will be like Queens,” one woman opposed to ShopRite said. Another said that a store that size belonged on the highway. Resident Jim Palumbo, while not strictly opposed to ShopRite, asked the board what assistance residents could expect if the construction caused flooding or foundation damage to nearby residential homes. “Who is going to be responsible for the collateral damage?” he asked. “If you perceive a threat to your property or yourself, you should consult the township engineer,” Mayor Christopher De Phillips told Palumbo. “If the application is approved and you suffer deleterious effects, you should contact the engineer or the zoning officials.” Wyckoff Township Engineer Marc De Gennaro, who was present at the hearing, said he could only envision foundation damage to neighboring homes in case of blasting, and that if blasting was intended – none has been mentioned thus far – a separate hearing would be convened. Since the abandoned store and parking lot already constitute impervious coverage, there seemed to be no real threat of increasing flooding. William Schultz, an older resident, said that, instead of hiring any more traffic consultants, the planners should be guided by Wyckoff Chief of Police Benjamin Fox. (continued on page 16) thieves who are in the habit of walking around driveways at night, flipping buttons. We’re seeing thefts of vehicles, thefts of accessories, (and) thefts of wallets or computers left in the consoles.” He cautioned that thieves may be armed, and could potentially harm residents. He said that neighbors should be aware of strangers in the neighborhood and, if they spot any suspicious activity, they should call the police and stay on the line – keeping track of the activity from a safe distance and without being observed – until the police arrive. Residents should never attempt a confrontation. Chief Fox said patrols are being increased. He added that the prowlers in Wyckoff and other affluent towns would probably appear well-dressed and driving cars appropriate to the area. J. KOSTER