NORWOOD, N.J.—After watching their businesses suffer major economic losses—in one case, a 60% drop in business due to a nearly six-week street closure—owners of over a dozen businesses on Norwood’s Broad Street confronted Rockland Electric officials Dec. 18 to complain about the utility project’s poor timing and lack of communication.
Following an at-times contentious meeting, a Rockland Electric contractor said he was hopeful that utility work would wrap up on Monday, Dec. 23, if no further delays occur.
At several points, business owners called for work to be suspended or stopped to help them save what remained of their normally-busy retail season.
Rockland Electric officials who attended the informal meeting said they did not have the authority to suspend or stop operations.
“We do not understand why better planning was not made. Cutting access to both streets [Blanch Street and Broadway] which lead to Broad Street is terrible of itself and the fact that it was not planned initially during the summer… escapes our comprehension. We as storekeepers hold you responsible for devastating our livelihood. It is completely unacceptable to do that to any business,” wrote John and Linda Russo in a letter dated Dec. 13 to Robert Sanchez, president and chief executive at Rockland Electric, of Pearl River, New York.
Following receipt of the letter, company officials called to set up a meeting with area business owners.
Rockland Electric Co. officials met for nearly 90 minutes at Donut King on Broad Street with a dozen local business owners, who repeatedly criticized its three representatives for not effectively communicating about the street-closing utility upgrade underway, shutting down their street for six weeks during the year’s busiest retail season, and causing their businesses to incur major economic losses, which several asked to have reimbursed.
Company officials said later that was not done, or at least they had no knowledge of whether it had ever been done in previous cases.
At least two business owners walked out of the meeting, one shouting angrily and another frustrated by utility officials’ responses.
Several times, business owners yelled or talked over one another to express anger about the six-week Broad Street closure, steep drop-offs in customers, lack of adequate detour signage and poor communication with business owners.
Several owners mentioned the lack of communication from local police, the mayor, and borough officials in general about the utility project.
One owner said an officer told him to look on the police department’s Facebook page when they asked about information on the project.
When Northern Valley Press visited Dec. 18 in early afternoon, the street was partly blocked off with heavy equipment, and a Norwood police car blocked the street’s entrance.
Two hours later, the street was partly open to allow customers to enter business parking lots on either side.
However, the amount of heavy equipment, detour signs and construction just up the street showed the street was impassable. A police car was parked nearby but no longer blocked the street’s entrance.
The meeting was initiated by John and Linda Russo, and daughter Sandy, owners of Wine and Whiskey Barrel on Broad Street. Much of business owners’ anger with Rockland Electric appeared to do with the project’s bad timing around the Thanksgiving-to-New Year’s period, which effectively turned away customers looking to shop local.
In addition to over 15 businesses that signed the letter, copied to Mayor James Barsa and Police Chief Jeffrey Krapels, were Doggie Shrink, Mario’s Pizza, Donut King, Hunan Royal, Gentle Touch Dry Cleaners, Callahan’s and J&C Cleanouts and Antiques.
Poor communication
John Russo said company officials did not return numerous prior calls to discuss the street closures and business interruptions, causing them to write a letter to the company president and CEO Robert Sanchez.
Rockland officials said the underground utility project involved running and burying a 69,000-volt underground cable to improve regional electric system reliability during severe weather conditions.
Kate Wysokowski, regional and community affairs manager, said the company could have done a better job communicating with area businesses about the street shutdown and detours to assist businesses affected by the closures.
Sandy Russo said the road closure and detours reduced area visitors and foot traffic, vendor deliveries to local businesses, and a recent water line break that occurred Dec. 14 caused one store, Callahan’s, to shut down completely on Saturday, one of their busiest days.
In addition, utility vehicles blocked Callahan’s driveway that day, preventing use of a food truck, which further hurt sales, said owner Daniel DeMiglio.
In addition to business interruptions caused by the utility work, Google maps showed Broad Street as being closed through March 2020, and DeMiglio showed a reporter that the street was still listed as closed until March 2020 on Dec. 18.
DeMiglio owns two Callahan’s restaurants, one in Norwood and one in Paramus.
DeMiglio said 53,000 online visitors had seen the Google map noting the street was closed through March 2020, and that alone may have turned off many potential customers from trying to visit Callahan’s, which has a large social media following, he said. DeMiglio said business was down 60% from the same period last year.
He said a lack of communication about the utility project caused all the problems with local business owners.
Utility defers to town
Wysokowski said later that the utility defers to local officials to communicate about the planned utility work.
She said the project engineer generally communicates directly with a local police chief, and borough administrator, along with mayor and council project updates.
“I feel like we did not do our due diligence in communicating with the business owners here. There’s no question,” said Wysokowski.
She said she “would be happy” to keep local owners informed of upcoming work scheduled as the project winds down.
Rockland Electric Senior Engineer Anthony Ricchiutti said though the project would improve the regional electric grid, he realized that communication could have been better with businesses and apologized “for the impact that it’s had to you.”
He said the project was discussed with county and borough officials and police and “it was our understanding that the borough was communicating that with residents.”
Sandy Russo said the liquor store had made up door hangers and flyers to try to increase business while the street has remained closed.
She said their business was down 40% over six weeks, during one of the year’s busiest sales periods.
Russo said Rockland Electric officials promised to get back to her with further answers to questions raised at the impromptu Dec. 18 meeting.
Efforts to reach Mayor James Barsa were not returned by press time.