| Dave Staph, Borough Engineer, explained the
revised traffic-calming plan. The County made most of the changes
suggested by residents at the April meeting. Among them were: the right
turn onto Montgomery from Rt. 518 will be made more of a right angle turn;
traffic lanes will be 14' wide from the RHCG house to Crescent Point Park
and a sidewalk will be built along that part of Rt. 518; Merritt Lane will
have four speed bumps (12' long, 4" high and designed for 25 mph)
when it is repaved in the fall.
In answer to questions, the Mayor said that gridlock in the Borough was
a possibility; that slowing traffic on one street meant increased traffic
on others, and yes, any vehicle, including emergency vehicles, could
sustain damage if they went more than 25 mph over the speed bumps. Mr.
Staph will investigate putting speed bumps on Princeton Avenue. The
traffic plans are in the Borough Office.
Two representatives from the Federal EPA with two consultants from CDM
Company explained what the EPA clean-up project was about. They want to
dig wells and get water samples to see where the TCE, which caused our
water problem years ago, is going. None on the project could guarantee
that our pump or well would not be affected or broken. The Borough would
have to pay the expenses for engineering fees, repairs or replacement
parts, and for Elizabethtown water if needed. The Mayor and Council
emphasized that our water was probably the best in the State and likely
the most monitored. The Borough had taken care of the problem years ago
and had been refused reimbursement by the State or Feds al- though money
had been used to tie some Montgomery residents into Elizabethtown. Our
water is just fine and the study, which has been going on for several
years, would not benefit the Borough was the gist of the message to the
EPA and their consultants. The vote giving permssion to the EPA to proceed
in the Borough was: G. Momn, yes; R. Batchelder, undecided; the Mayor and
M. Engelbrecht, no. Permission was denied.
The discussion went from water to trees. The holiday tree at Crescent
Point Park is unstable and needs to be replaced. And the Council will set
up a memorial tree program in which a resident could buy a tree for
Borough property for about $250, complete with marker.
Resolutions: Renewing the liquor licenses for Washington Street Station
and Santa Fe Grill at Rocky Hill, to 6/30/02
Ordinance 3/01: Authorizing $75,000 for the purchase of an emergency
vehicle and equipment passed the first reading |