Mahwah July 18, 2012 THE VILLADOM TIMES IV • Page 11 NJDOT seeks changes to Crossroads traffic plan by Frank J. McMahon The New Jersey Department of Transportation has asked the developer of the International Crossroads property to make changes to the traffic plan for the retail mall proposed for the site. Crossroads Developers LLC is planning to construct a 600,000 square foot retail center on the 140-acre property, which is located at the intersection of Routes 17 and 287 in Mahwah. Plans call for two big box stores, a tenplex theater, 200,000 square feet of retail shops along a pedestrian oriented corridor, and an athletic field. James Jaworski, the attorney for the developer, advised the planning board at a public meeting last week that a meeting with key NJDOT officials was held on June 28. At that meeting, he said, it became clear that the NJDOT understood the traffic plan and that they had “done their homework” in preparing for the meeting. “The meeting with the NJDOT went extremely well,” Jaworski said. He explained that the planning board’s traffic expert’s proposal to use a cloverleaf type ramp from the Mountainside Road overpass to southbound Route 17 was discussed. NJDOT officials also asked for additional information on the topography and environmental conditions in the area of the proposed cloverleaf ramp, Jaworski said. In addition, some suggestions were made to modify other parts of the developer’s traffic plan to consider alternate accesses to the site including the use of Leisure Lane and the possibility of using the Suburban Propane property. Jaworski also said some access lane widening and changes in the area where traffic intersects with the Sharp Electronics property were suggested. According to Jaworski, the NJDOT indicated its interest in setting up a meeting with New York DOT officials to review what he described as a global solution to the traffic conditions caused by the intersection of Route I-287 and Route 87, which is the New York Thruway. Jaworski provided no specifics about the suggestions made by the NJDOT for modifications to the developer’s traffic plan but he said they will be made to the traffic plan and submitted to the NJDOT. He said he expects those changes will be acceptable other than some minor “tinkering” that may be required afterward. Mahwah Township Engineer Mike Kelly described the (continued on page 17)