Page 20 THE VILLADOM TIMES III • June 6, 2012 Ho-Ho-Kus Residents seek three-way stop at Enos Place by Jennifer Crusco Safety concerns prompted a group of Ho-Ho-Kus residents to ask the borough council for a three-way stop at Enos Place. The proposal would effectively add two stop signs in that area, as one stop sign currently exists where Enos Place meets Elmood Avenue. At the last public council session, Elmwood Avenue resident Norman Baratta spoke on behalf of the group. The resident told the council that there is an overriding concern for the safety of the neighborhood children due to motorists who exceed the 25 mile per hour speed limit. He presented the council with a petition signed by 15 neighbors who agree that the traffic in the area is passing by too quickly, thereby creating a safety concern. In addition to the three-way stop proposal, Baratta suggested a possible turn restriction at Hollywood Avenue. “Thank you for bringing this to our attention,” Mayor Thomas Randall told the resident. Randall said several traffic calming measures, which encourage motorists to slow down, could be reviewed for the neighborhood. He also said he would consider reviving the borough’s committee on traffic safety, and would ask the police department for recommendations. “We can look at a lot of things,” Randall added. “A stop sign may be the answer, or it may not be.” He noted that three-way stops are not common, and he would have to ask for input from the police. Councilman Doug Troast, who is the borough’s police commissioner, said there are visual and physical devices that can be used to slow motorists. He also suggested that monitors be used to collect data on motorists’ activities in the area. “The police can set up a detail to check the situation,” Troast said, adding that the borough engineer would also need to provide input. “This is not the first time the issue has been raised,” Baratta added. He said neighbors have been parking their cars on the street in an attempt to slow speeding motorists, but the parked cars are being hit. Resident John McHugh urged that the council address the issue as soon as possible. He said he has seen people drag racing in the area, and some vehicles have passed by in excess of 50 miles per hour. The mayor responded that the police chief would be asked to confirm the statistics, checking speed and volume. “I made the three-way stop suggestion at least seven years ago,” resident Cindy Baxter told the council. “Time is of the essence. Why wait?” Baxter said she was previously advised that certain criteria would have to be met before the borough could gain approvals for the three-way stop. She added that the situation has become worse in recent years due to the presence of so many more small children. One resident said 10 small children live within a fourhouse area. Baxter suggested that the police use a radar trap on Elmwood, or employ a solar-powered sign that announces the speed limit and each motorist’s speed. “I don’t understand why nothing has been done,” she said. “It’s not asking for the moon to have a safe street.” “We will have the chief look at it anew,” Randall told Baxter. “Maybe circumstances have changed that will allow something to be done.” Contacted after the meeting, Ho-Ho-Kus Police Chief John Wanamaker pledged, “We will absolutely do our due diligence.” He said the department would be collecting information, including traffic counts and speeds. Washington Elm VFW Post 192 (Ho-Ho-Kus/Ridgewood) recently organized the Ho-Ho-Kus Memorial Day parade and observances in cooperation with the borough administration, fire department, police department, and others. Pictured at left is VFW Post Commander Stanley A. Kober, parade chairman. Center: Ho-Ho-Kus Councilwoman Maryellen Lennon distributes red, white, and blue carnations to the Cub Scouts. Right: U.S. Marines Master Sergeant Hiller-Cousins presented an upbeat, inspiring talk. Annual tradition continues