TOWNSHIP OF WASHINGTON—Township Administrator Mark DiCarlo told the town council in November that he would raise a request for sound barriers on some local streets that abut the Garden State Parkway at an upcoming meeting with New Jersey Turnpike Authority officials.
Council vice president Steven Cascio, at a mid-October council meeting, said he had spoken with residents on West Place, Fairfield Court and Carriage Court who requested sound barriers. He said Fairfield Court abuts the parkway and residents there either want a sound barrier or “something more sturdy” to address noise and other issues.
DiCarlo said at the Nov. 8 meeting that he would raise the topic at a meeting that had already been scheduled with Turnpike Authority officials. Previously, council president Desserie Morgan noted noise concerns also affected the Gardner Field and playground and nearby homes on Ridgewood Boulevard North.
The former Township Swim Club, a 6.1-acre compound purchased in April 2022 for future use as a recreational site, also adjoins the parkway.
DiCarlo said he would discuss sound barriers with township engineer John Yakimic of Boswell Engineering before raising the issue with the Turnpike Authority. He said the mayor told him prior requests for sound barriers along sections of the parkway had been denied.
DiCarlo also noted that Boswell had completed a topographic survey of the former swim club property and was working on conceptual designs for the site.
Proposed Exit 168 Signal Update
DiCarlo said a meeting with the Turnpike Authority, which oversees the parkway, was being scheduled to address concerns raised by township professionals about a proposed plan for a signal at the end of Exit 168 at Washington Avenue. He provided no details.
Local officials notified residents about two years ago that the Turnpike Authority was considering a signal at the end of Exit 168, which motorists had complained about frequently.
There is a stop sign at the end of the Exit 168 ramp. Heavy rush-hour traffic makes left-hand turns toward Van Emburgh Avenue and Ho-Ho-Kus difficult and risky, residents have reported.
Moreover, right-hand turns on to Washington Avenue toward the township are less difficult but backed-up traffic at the busy intersection often obscures oncoming vehicles.
Less than 100 yards away is traffic coming east from a large, downhill run on Washington Avenue, which crosses Van Emburgh Avenue at the bottom of a hill, and continues over a slightly inclined bridge traversing the parkway below, and then encounters vehicles trying to turn onto Washington Avenue from the exit 168 ramp.
The council agreed in December 2021 that additional traffic safety measures need to be considered at the Van Emburgh–Washington Avenue intersection, served currently by a blinking warning light. No mention was made of the intersection.
With two major housing developments approved and planned along Van Emburgh Avenue—a 66-unit townhome and single family subdivision and a 44-unit apartment rental complex —former council member and mayoral candidate Michael DeSena (now councilmember-elect) previously suggested that the new developments “should all share” in contributing to an intersection improvements and traffic signal upgrade.
Another eight-home luxury subdivision is planned off of Gorga Place, which intersects with Washington Avenue.
Brook’s bank restoration efforts
DiCarlo also said Boswell was working on a design for the restoration of two critical stream banks along Musquapsink Brook with exposed sanitary manholes. (These critical sanitary issues were detailed in a drone study of the brook released earlier this year.)
The drone study, posted on the township website, noted that the severely eroded stream banks around two sanitary manholes required immediate attention to prevent contamination of the stream by fecal wastes as well as possible infiltration of a sanitary line by the brook.
DiCarlo said the restoration of the stream bank areas also involved engineering designs for sediment shoal removal in another brook area, and the removed sediment will be used to restore the two stream banks.
In his November report, Mayor Peter Calamari noted that two poles will be installed on Pascack Road to hang banners to advertise events going on in town. He said PSE&G recently changed its poles on Pascack Road, and the town is unable to hang banners from them.
Tributary piping
Township officials may decide to look into the future of an unnamed tributary that runs behind about five homes on Meisten Street at their upcoming Dec. 4 council meeting, after a second, less expensive proposal was recently presented to them.
The Council took no action Nov. 8 on a lower-priced proposal of approximately $154,000 to pipe an unnamed tributary that flows into the Musquapsink Brook and runs behind about five homes on Meisten Street.
DiCarlo said he wanted to present the lower cost option to council to see if they wanted to move forward and maybe include it as a capital request in the 2024 budget.
The tributary was found not to be a Category One or protected waterway by Boswell Engineering, the township’s engineer, although it flows into a protected waterway, Musquapsink Brook, which eventually flows into Oradell Reservoir.
Earlier this fall, Boswell Engineering had presented proposals for piping the tributary behind Meisten Street homes ranging from $300,000 to $400,000, and no council action was taken.
Following a Boswell study this spring, the engineer determined the unnamed tributary, previously thought to be a Category One, or protected waterway, was not a regulated waterway because it did not drain an area of 50 acres as required, instead only draining an area of about 49 acres.
Several residents, including Meisten Street resident Michael Agnello, disagreed with Boswell’s finding, as well as an engineer from Emerson, who questioned the consultant’s conclusion.
Had the waterway been deemed a protected waterway, it was likely to be a factor in evaluating possible impacts to it from a proposed nearby 17,100-square-foot retail development. However, that development was not approved. (The retail proposal was denied by the Zoning Board and the applicant recently filed a complaint in Superior Court to appeal the decision.)
DiCarlo said he secured an estimate from Matina & Son, Inc., Hackensack, of $154,485, which was below prior Boswell Engineering estimates.
Recently, Matina & Son was approved for a $469,500 contract by council to complete improvements on the commuter parking lot adjacent to the emergency services building.
He said additional costs for the piping proposal would include approximately 10% to 20% more for engineering costs, plus legal fees to establish easements on the properties.
DiCarlo said since Matina & Son were doing work in the area, he reached out for a more specific estimate from them.
There was no discussion on the proposal.