Politics & Government
Controversial Footpath Could Get Closed to the Public
Chatham Township Committee will hold a public hearing Thursday to release the land to the adjacent homeowners.
A public hearing will be held Thursday on a controversial 700-foot Chatham Township footpath that could be returned to the neighboring homeowners.
The Safe Routes to School Committee previously requested the township-owned passage between Pine Street and Linden Lane be reopened for students in the neighborhood to more easily walk to the middle and high schools as well as Cougar Field on Shunpike Road.
However, the majority of residents on Linden Lane, a private road, have opposed opening the walkway.
Many said at an October meeting their children attend private schools and have no use for the walkway. They also raised concerns of "stranger danger" along the path, teen drinking, and increased likelihood of drownings in Seneca Pond—about 200 feet away from the roads and path.
The proposal to clear the path and open it to the public was placed on hold in October. The Township Committee will now have a public hearing and vote to release the easement to the adjacent homeowners, closing the land to the public.
The meeting will be held at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the Chatham Township municipal building.
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