BY STEVE KELMAN
CORRESPONDENT
CRESSKILL, N.J.—With an eye towards making the Cresskill downtown business district a more appealing place to shop and dine, the borough council recently adopted a $1.3 million bond ordinance for the construction of a community parking facility on Allen Street.
The new facility will offer 88 parking spots and be located behind shops and businesses on Union Avenue.
“This [parking facility] will enhance the whole downtown and all of it will be public parking,” Mayor Benedict Romeo said at the Dec. 19 public meeting of the governing body, where the measure was unanimously adopted.
Borough officials said the facility will have new paving, with lighting, planters, and be free for the public to use. There will also be street parking on Allen Street, borough officials said.
The parking facility will extend from behind the Capital One Bank to the Hanami Building, officials said.
Romeo said that the borough will go out to bid in January for the construction and that the new parking lot will be built over the summer.
“The site will be reconfigured and cleaned up,” the mayor said. “If you go there now it’s a mess.”
Councilwoman Kathleen Savas said the telephone poles and dumpsters currently on the site will be removed once the construction begins.
“This will become a nice smooth parking area,” she said.
During the public comment regarding the parking facility and before the vote for adoption of the ordinance, a resident asked the governing body how much the bond ordinance would affect tax payers in the borough.
“The impact to the tax payer will be very minimal,” Cresskill Chief Financial Officer Harold Laufeld III said in response to the question.
The ordinance for the parking facility was originally introduced at the Dec. 5 mayor and council meeting.
The new facility will offer 88 parking spots and be located behind shops and businesses on Union Avenue.
“This [parking facility] will enhance the whole downtown and all of it will be public parking,” Mayor Benedict Romeo said at the Dec. 19 public meeting of the governing body, where the measure was unanimously adopted.
Borough officials said the facility will have new paving, with lighting, planters, and be free for the public to use. There will also be street parking on Allen Street, borough officials said.
The parking facility will extend from behind the Capital One Bank to the Hanami Building, officials said.
Romeo said that the borough will go out to bid in January for the construction and that the new parking lot will be built over the summer.
“The site will be reconfigured and cleaned up,” the mayor said. “If you go there now it’s a mess.”
Councilwoman Kathleen Savas said the telephone poles and dumpsters currently on the site will be removed once the construction begins.
“This will become a nice smooth parking area,” she said.
During the public comment regarding the parking facility and before the vote for adoption of the ordinance, a resident asked the governing body how much the bond ordinance would affect tax payers in the borough.
“The impact to the tax payer will be very minimal,” Cresskill Chief Financial Officer Harold Laufeld III said in response to the question.
The ordinance for the parking facility was originally introduced at the Dec. 5 mayor and council meeting.