The Alternative Press

NEWTON, NJ – Monday night’s council meeting in the Town of Newton, was a forum for a number of discussions, including the issues on Diller Avenue in terms of the volume of cars using the road, as well as speed violations.

Town of Newton Town Manager Thomas S. Russo, Jr. invited Harold Pellow, from Harold E. Pellow & Associates engineering firm of Augusta, N.J., as well as Town of Newton Police Chief, Michael Richards, and Newton Police Sgt. Dean Coppolella.

Richards first reported on the traffic trailers placed throughout town, including the trailer on Diller Avenue.

“We’re getting excellent analysis for traffic enforcement, you’ve got a lot of data there,” Richards said.

There were 82,000 vehicles clocked heading in one direction alone during the time period of July 26 through August 13, 2012.

Richards said the average daily traffic on the road per day calculates to approximately 11,500 vehicles.

Richards enlisted Coppolella’s help, as the sergeant was a traffic officer for six years of his career.

“I consider him an expert on traffic,” Richards said.

“Due to problems and complaints we’ve been receiving [on Diller Avenue], we want to be responsive to it,” Richards said.

Richards reported 84 traffic enforcement details made alone from August 13 through Monday evening, September 24, on Diller Avenue. Of those, 31 resulted in summonses written to offenders.

“If you look at the total amount of stops made, it was 912 cars in August,” said Richards.

Richards said the department also researched the number of accidents on Diller Avenue.

“Since 2005, 10 car crashes have occurred, that we have responded to,” Richards said.

Richards said the average speed a driver travels on the road is 26 miles per hour (limit is 25), though he said 3 percent exceed limits of 31 miles per hour, or greater.

“Even with heavy enforcement, I don’t think we’ll drive the volume, or speed down,” Richards said.

Pellow suggested speed tables might help, although he said the road should be milled and paved prior to installation.

“It’s been 14 years, it’s probably a good time to do it before putting it in,” Pellow said.

“There’s no question, it [speed table] will slow people down,” Richards said.

Richards named three “E’s” for traffic safety: education, enforcement, and engineering.

“We can’t do any more enforcement in the area, engineering is next,” Richards said.

Deputy mayor Joe Ricciardo inquired if a reduction in speed may help.

“We’re dealing with a problem for as long as I’ve sat up here,” Ricciardo, who has been on the council for 12 years, said. “It’s not something that’s happened the past two years. It’s happened forever. It’s the shortcut to get away to down.”

Richards said speeders would still be there, even if the limits were lowered. He said officers might not be available to be stationed at the time when speeding is most common, between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m., when students are heading to the college, and commuters are returning from work.

Russo said he had seen the speed tables work in Parsippany, when he was a councilman, however, budgetary pressures may be the limit on the project. The project cost proposed by Pellow is estimated at $110,000.

Mayor Sandra Diglio inquired if more stop signs could be installed.

Coppolella said the NJDOT (New Jersey Department of Transportation) did not like stop signs used for speed control.

“Let’s keep it on the radar screen, pun intended, and consider it for 2013,” Russo said. “I don’t think we could sustain $110,000, but we could do a modified version of it.”

Diglio proposed perhaps three speed tables, instead of the suggested four.

Councilman Kevin Elvidge said, “I have no doubt speed bumps drastically reduce the speed on it, others that comply with speed they have to deal with the speed tables. If they’re complying.”

The council agreed the change in the roadway structure, may shift traffic from Diller Avenue, to other streets in town, including Trinity and Spring Streets.

Michael Tumminelli, a Diller Avenue Resident, spoke at the meeting.

“What you’re missing is the human factor,” Tumminelli said. “What you’re not taking into consideration is the human factor.”

Tumminelli said as Hampton Township grows, including the addition of the new PetSmart, more traffic would pass through Diller Avenue as a shortcut.

Steve Kelmer was concerned how the speed tables may impact those who pull out of their driveways on Diller Avenue as well, and if residents could hit them.

In other business:

·      Thomas Kosten from FKA Architects in Oakland, N.J. attended the meeting to discuss the state of the Newton Fire Museum. Kosten said the masonry joints, and mortar is deteriorated between the brick on some walls, which is why there has been water damage in the building. In the adjacent alleyway, Kosten said up to three or four feet of snow can accumulate. He proposed a joint gutter between the fire museum and neighboring building. At the bottom of the alleyway wall, he suggested a membrane wrap. Kosten said the roof, which is 20 years old, would also need replacing. And windows should be made more thermally efficient. Some of the wainscot has also deteriorated. There is some asbestos on the second floor, limited to adhesive dots, which must also be removed. And one of the stairs must be repaired. There is a depression in the floor, Kosten said, which also must be addressed. Kosten said it might have been used as a cistern years ago. He suggested the stair repair first. Russo proposed some repairs budgeted in 2012, and 2013, as well as grant funding. Russo said there is $175,000 left in this year’s budget. “It doesn’t even touch the surface [of the repairs],” Russo said. “It’s an important building in the center of downtown, and, like any historic structure, it needs to be taken care of. There’s a significant cost.” Resident Thea Unhoch suggested the cost of the refurbishment of the museum would be a burden to taxpayers and recommend the town, and fire department have a fundraiser, such as a car raffle or golf outing.

·      The Town of Newton’s Chief Financial Officer Dawn Babcock reported that the town scored a 44 of 50 questions necessary for the town’s Best Practices Inventory Questionnaire. The minimal score necessary was a 41. “We have excellent internal controls, Newton is ahead of the curve on some of these items,” Babcock said.

·      Ricciardo suggested the town change Downtown Newton’s plan from revitalization to redevelopment, when revisiting the vision plan.

·      The council had the first opportunity to see the town’s new recycling truck, and chipper last night, which were recently delivered to the Town of Newton Public Works Department, after, the previous units, Russo said, “had reached the end of their useful shelf life.” The new recycling truck can handle 10, 20, or 30-yard containers. The town also recently received a new chipper. “The chipper is a compact, easy to tow, and medium-large capacity unit that will see significant duty I am sure during the fall and winter months,” Russo said.

·      New part-time clerical support Meagan DeJong, introduced herself to the council last night. “She is new part-time clerical support in the Clerk’s office, took over for Irene O’Connor, a full-timer who retired last Friday after many years of fine service to the community,” Russo said.