Midland Park November 19, 2014 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • Page 7 Council approves bids for firehouse improvements The Midland Park Firehouse on Witte Drive is being upgraded to accommodate a new ladder truck expected early next year. The borough council last week awarded the contract for the work to Javier Construction Corp. of Clifton at a price of $44,000. Javier, which recently completed Memorial Library’s front steps, was the lowest of five bidders for the firehouse project, whose bids ranged up to $80,500. Teacher parking added at Dairy lot Twenty faculty parking spaces at the Dairy Street Rec- reation Complex behind Midland Park High School have been designated for faculty parking to increase the over- all number of spots available for students in the front of the school. Councilwoman Nancy Peet announced during last week’s meeting of the mayor and council that the arrange- ment had been settled on at a meeting between town and school officials earlier in the week. She explained that it would be safer for the students walking from their cars to use the front parking lot. “We are very grateful to the Midland Park borough for providing us with approximately 20 of its parking spaces by the playground/tennis court area behind the high school. This collaborative outreach provides us with an opportunity to reallocate parking assignments and have all students park in the front of the school, with staff members parking in the back,” said Superintendent of Schools Dr. Marie Cirasella. The parking shortage had been raised by resident Steve Vander Wiele, whose daughter is a junior at the school and had been forced to park on neighboring streets because she did not qualify for a school permit. “I thank the council for getting it done so quickly. Parents told me they had tried before and couldn’t get it to happen. It’s good that the kids can now park up front where it is safer,” Vander Wiele told the council. “The town council is most cooperative with the schools, as long as we are aware of the issues. It’s the board’s property; they make the rules,” said Mayor Pat- rick “Bud” O’Hagan. The bulk of the spaces, already lined and numbered by the borough’s DPW, are in front of the Dairy Street tennis courts, with three located along the junior field near the flagpole. Parking along the batting cages’ fence is still available for residents using the recreation com- plex facilities, including the playground, tennis courts or snack bar. Staff members will receive decals for their cars to park in the designated areas. The arrangement will only be in effect during school hours. Vander Wiele said he would return to the board to ask that school officials rework the student parking policies, which allow reserved parking privileges to all seniors regardless of whether they drive to school and does not permit them to “lend them” to juniors. “There were 50 spaces empty as of Monday in the top lot. They (the board) have to look at themselves; they are doing something wrong. The town has helped. Let’s see what they will do to help the situation,” Vander Wiele said. He previously suggested that the lot be redesigned and restriped to return angle parking and the parking island recently removed following repaving. Dr. Cirasella said that parking spaces are provided to MPHS seniors as a “senior privilege.” She said this school year 82 seniors requested one of the 95 spaces available in the student lot, but that 14 of these spaces are used for district staff members. According to Fire Chief Mark McCombs, plans call for enlarging the westernmost bay at the firehouse by 15 feet to house the new 105 ft. ladder truck. The 25-year-old truck being replaced is only 75 ft. long. The wall and ceil- ing of an existing storage/utility room will be removed to extend the bay, and the existing heating system now there will be replaced with a smaller, high efficiency unit. No exterior changes to the building are being proposed. McCombs said that option had once been considered, but the interior changes were deemed financially more fea- sible to meet the requirements. The chief explained that the longer ladder truck, which will cost the borough about $844,000, was needed to allow easier access to more houses by providing a better reach for structures that have increased setbacks. A March delivery date for the truck is anticipated, he said.