Mahwah August 29, 2012 THE VILLADOM TIMES IV • Page 7 New Crossroads traffic plan gets cool reception by Frank J. McMahon A new traffic plan for the Crossroads site in Mahwah did not quiet the safety concerns of planning board members or some residents who object to the development of the property as a retail mall. The subject property is the 140-acre International Crossroads site, which is located at the intersection of Routes 17 and 287. The Mahwah Planning Board is currently considering plans by Crossroads Developers Associates, LLC to construct a 600,000 square foot retail center with two big box stores, a tenplex theater, 200,000 square feet of retail shops along a pedestrian oriented corridor, and an athletic field. Prior to presenting the revised traffic plan, the applicant’s attorney, James Jaworski, advised the board that no additional property could be acquired by his client to improve the access to the mall. Jaworski said that would change the application and require a new submission which, under state law, would then have to comply with the zoning of the property before it was zoned for retail use. Jaworski was referring to the possible purchase of property located near the proposed mall entrance that is owed by the Suburban Propane Company. That company is considering a relocation of its business. Dan Diserio, the Crossroads traffic engineer, then described a revised plan for five intersections that would be used by traffic entering or exiting the mall. The plan was developed as a result of a June 28 meeting of Diserio and other Crossroads officials; Mahwah Township Engineer Mike Kelly; Judd Rocciola, the planning board’s traffic expert; and officials from the New Jersey Department of Transportation, which has jurisdiction over all the access roadways to the Crossroads site. Diserio described the plans for the Leisure Lane/Cross Road and Mountainside Road and Cross Road/Road B (Driveway #1) accesses, and the intersection of Mountainside, South Houvenkopf, and Stag Hill roads and the northbound and southbound ramps leading from Route 17 to Ramapo Valley Road (Route 202). Members of the planning board voiced their concerns about the safety of the Leisure Lane access because of the bus depot and truck stop that are located at that inter- section and the potential for accidents in that area when trucks and buses pull out onto Leisure Lane to head toward Route 17. They also expressed concern about motorists who are driving north on Route 17 turning into Leisure Lane and becoming surprised when they confront a truck or a bus entering that road. Jeremiah Crean, acting board chairman, recommended that the traffic exiting the mall at Leisure Lane have a stop sign at Cross Road while leaving the traffic entering the mall on Leisure Lane unimpeded to avoid any backup on Route 17. Diserio advised the board that he calculates that half the traffic turning off Route 17 at Leisure Lane to go to the mall would take that road into the mall and half would head north on Cross Road to enter the mall from Road B/Driveway #1 at the intersection with Mountainside Road. (continued on page 14)