EMERSON, N.J.— A new dropoff and pickup traffic pattern at Memorial Elementary School on Chestnut Street drew questions and concerns from several neighbors at the Sept. 1 special mayor and council meeting.
Implemented Sept. 2, the first official day of school, the trial pattern aims to ease morning and afternoon bottlenecks and improve student safety. Residents described daily chaos, with parents parking on the street and in neighbors’ driveways while students walk down the street.
Memorial serves pre-K through grade 3; Villano Elementary serves grades 4–6, and Emerson Junior-Senior High School serves grades 7–12.
In a Sept. 1 message to parents, Memorial Principal Kristin Gagliano wrote, “Our shared goal has been to prioritize the safety of our students, families, staff, and community members while also creating a more organized and efficient arrival and dismissal process.”
She added, “We know that changes to arrival and dismissal routines can take some time to get used to, and we greatly appreciate your patience, flexibility, and partnership as we work together to make these routines successful for everyone.”
Administrator Michael Carelli said Chestnut Street would run one-way southbound toward Crest Road and Overlook Avenue from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. and 2:30 to 3:30 p.m., with temporary signs marking the change during a trial period.
Mayor Danielle DiPaola said the school district requested the changes. Parents were notified through school messages, SwiftReach and Reverse911.
Overlook Avenue resident Brian Kropp questioned the safety of two proposed handicapped parking spaces on the narrow street. He said a similar traffic pattern tried sometime last year was unsuccessful.
Police Chief Mark Savino said the spaces would accommodate children with special needs requiring dropoff on Chestnut Street, allowing them to enter with classmates. The spaces would permit temporary parking, or longer parking for drivers with a handicapped parking hang tag.
DiPaola asked Kropp for feedback and said police would place safety cones in his driveway to prevent parking there. With 52 new kindergartners expected this year, she said, the borough would closely monitor conditions.
Overlook Avenue resident John Dicostanzo said daily dropoff and pickup “is chaotic” and doubted parents would face much of “a learning curve.” He anticipated congestion on Grand Avenue as drivers turned onto one-way Chestnut Street.
DiPaola recalled a similar change at Villano about 15 years ago. Savino said that school currently has no problems during morning or afternoon rushes. Council President Ashley Rice urged residents to follow Chestnut Street’s one-way restrictions to protect children.
The council set no timeline for considering an ordinance to adopt the changes.
Other improvements
Carelli said the first phase of replacing all playground equipment at Ackerman Park should begin this year, with adequate funding in the 2026 budget, including an $84,227 grant.
The council later approved a contract with MRC Gametime Recreation. Resolution 249-26 provided neither a cost nor a description, but Carelli said the company’s monthly sale reduced the equipment price from $244,000 to $197,181.46. Delivery would take six to eight weeks.
The second phase, planned for the 2027 budget cycle, includes a rubber safety surface, a pavilion for shade and events, a water structure, repairs to existing swings, fencing and safety measures. Carelli cited two Open Space matching grants: $75,000 and, more recently, $75,862. Most outdated equipment would be recycled for scrap, with proceeds returned to the borough.
Carelli also reported that a contractor identified and fixed a problem with the public library’s Trane air-conditioning unit after an HVAC breakdown in late June–early July briefly closed the building because of heat.
The unit is now “fully functional,” he said, though officials will monitor it. Councilman Michael Timmerman said the unit was assessed to determine whether it was nearing the end of its useful life, and the library committee reviewed potential replacement systems and costs.