BY JOHN SNYDER
OF PASCACK PRESS
EMERSON, N.J.—Mayor Louis J. Lamatina took to Facebook Sept. 7 to alert motorists and pedestrians to a safety issue at the Emerson Stop & Shop involving the private roads that pass by Starbucks on the way to the laundromat.
“The borough engineer and I visited the Starbucks site after last night’s Land Use Board meeting to address the conditions at the intersection near the laundry. The borough engineer will be reaching out to the owner of the shopping center to address revisions to that intersection,” Lamatina said.
He explained that there are no stop signs or stop bars at any of the corners.
“Unfortunately, that area is not a public thoroughfare, but rather, the right of way into Starbucks is owned by the shopping center. Thus the need to reach out to the shopping center owner to offer our cooperation is making the intersection safer. In the meantime, please use caution in that area,” he said.
Commenters questioned why the issue wasn’t addressed with Starbucks’s application for the center.
One commenter extended thanks, and asked Lamatina whether the borough could look into a light at the high school intersection.
“It’s way past overdue, and if Wendy’s comes to town [so will] a lot more traffic. Possibly it can be a blinker on off hours, and on when school or events [are] happening at the school grounds. It’s way too dangerous an intersection. […] With all the redevelopment going on this I would hope could and should be at the top of the list.” Another resident put in a request to address traffic at the do not enter sign.
“Though that sign is to prevent cars pulling into the right-of-way road from Kinderkamack from making a left, it is confusing for cars traveling south from Westwood. They pass up the right-of-way, try turning into the south exit of Starbucks, stop, back up onto Kinderkamack—sometimes almost getting rear-ended—or either make U-turns in our driveways,” the resident said.