Tuesday, June 11, 2013
Vincent J. DeNave said he met with borough and township administrators to discuss the potential new location of the garden in Woodland Park.
Chatham Borough officials think they may have found a location to rebuild the community garden — if they can get a little cooperation. Borough Engineer Vincent J. DeNave proposed Woodland Park as the location for the new garden, which must be rebuilt after PSE&G revoked the lease agreement for the original community garden due to safety concerns for the new monopoles installed as part of their North Central Reliability Project. Still, Woodland Park has its own challenges, DeNave said. The park is owned jointly by both Chatham Borough and Chatham Township, which means both governing bodies must give their permission for the location to be used as a community garden. After a meeting at the proposed site with the administrators of the borough…
Monday, June 10, 2013
Chatham Borough Council extends parking limits downtown from 60 minutes to 90 minutes.
Next time you eat lunch in a downtown restaurant, go ahead and order dessert. And take time to savor it, since you won't have to rush back to move your car. The Chatham Borough Council unanimously approved an ordinance expanding the parking limits along Main Street from 60 minutes to 90 minutes. The law will go into effect in 30 days. The council discussed the ordinance at the May 28 meeting, when they approved it at first reading. The 60-minute time limit, they said, made it difficult for people from outside the borough to enjoy all it has to offer. "It's really not long enough to be able to eat lunch and go to the shops," Mayor Bruce A. Harris said. The parking limits apply to on-street spaces up and down Main Street between 8 a.m. and 6…
Sunday, June 9, 2013
The Chatham Borough Council will vote Monday on a law expanding parking limits.
Parking limits in downtown Chatham Borough could soon be expanded from 60 minutes to 90 minutes. The council discussed the ordinance at the May 28 meeting, when they approved it at first reading. The 60-minute time limit, they said, made it difficult for people from outside the borough to enjoy all it has to offer. "It's really not long enough to be able to eat lunch and go to the shops," Mayor Bruce A. Harris said. The parking limits apply to on-street spaces up and down Main Street, which is a no-passing zone. If the council approves the ordinance, the new parking limit will be increased to 90 minutes between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. daily, except for Sundays and holidays. The council will also vote on a resolution transferring the planning, …
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
John Holman will serve as president until Dec. 31; Len Resto's seat remains vacant.
Nearly two months after Chatham Borough Council's former president Len Resto stepped down from the council, John Holman was unanimously selected by his four fellow councilmen to take over the role. Holman, a Republican, was elected in November to his second term on the council. He has served as the council's liaison to the Board of Health, the Farmers Market and the Madison Chatham Joint Meeting. James Lonergan, a former council president, nominated Holman for the role. Holman will serve as the council president until Dec. 31. Resto resigned from the council in April due to a relocation to Pennsylvania to take a new job. The Chatham Borough Republican Party did not submit any nominations to take Resto's place on the council, so the spot …
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Mayor admits proper permit procedures were not followed after Sandy.
In the wake of Superstorm Sandy, the borough was “overwhelmed” by applications to take down trees and “proper procedures were not followed,” Mayor Bruce Harris admitted at Monday’s Borough Council meeting. Harris’s remarks came after Inwood Road residents Jack and Fran Drew complained about a 100-year-old, 125-foot Norewgian spruce that was taken down by a neighbor on their lot late last month. Fran Drew, who started Café Beethoven on Main Street with her husband, said the borough “was not doing enough to protect the trees.” She told the borough about how she was alerted by the sound of a chainsaw at about 9:30 a.m. April 24 and went outside to discover a contractor cutting down the Norwegian spruce, “one of the largest trees in Chatham. “…
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
'Most of the money in place' to install garden, with state approval, engineer says.
Chatham’s community garden may be taking root in a new location. Borough Engineer Vincent DeNave told the Borough Council on Monday that a portion of undeveloped Woodland Park could be used for the garden. DeNave said there is a 120-foot by 120-foot area in the park on Woodland Road that could accommodate 60 plots. “Overall, it is very doable,” he told the council. Because the land was acquired with Green Acres funds, the state would have to give permission to locate the community garden on the parcel, but DeNave said he anticipated no obstacles with that. He estimated the cost to prepare the property, including grading, clearing and improving the access road, at about $15,000. But the borough already has about $17,000 in reserve for the …
Residents speak out against law that would have charged for overnight parking permits.
The Chatham Borough Council will return to the drawing board after council members unanimously decided Monday to withdraw a controversial ordinance that would have charged residents for permits to park on borough streets from 2 to 6 a.m. About two dozen residents came to Monday’s council meeting to voice concerns about the ordinance that would have charged residents $250 to acquire an annual permit to allow overnight parking. The proposed ordinance also included temporary overnight parking permits for people visiting Chatham Borough residents. These permits would be eligible for two-week increments with only three such permits issued per address per year. The ordinance also allowed residents living within 700 feet of a municipal parking …
Sunday, May 12, 2013
Borough resident implores governing body to rethink planned vote Monday.
- GOVERNMENT
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Sunday, May 12
To the Mayor and Council: I am writing regarding the parking permit ordinance that you are scheduled to vote on this Monday evening. In summary, I believe this ordinance to be entirely bureaucratic, unnecessary and overly complex for the borough residents. I implore each and every one of you to vote “no” on Monday evening or at the very least table this ordinance until further analysis can be made. I admit, this is entirely last minute on my part and I have not been following the proposal since its introduction last month. However, I hope I am not too late in at least having a conversation with any of you this weekend as to why this is even being considered for vote. It is my understanding that this ordinance is arising from the abundant …
Monday, April 22, 2013
Public hearing will be held on May 13.
The Chatham Borough Council unanimously passed the first reading of a new ordinance that could allow overnight parking permits for borough residents. "I think we all know this has been an issue for some time," Councilman Gerald Helfrich said as he proposed the ordinance. As currently drafted, the ordinance allows only those living in one- or two-family residences to apply for the permit. Residents would have to fill out an application for review by the borough clerk and engineer justifying their need for an on-street parking permit. There would be a maximum two annual parking permits issued per address, and each permit would be registered to specific vehicles with specific license plates and will be non-transferable to other vehicles. The …
Sunday, April 21, 2013
On-street parking permits also on governing body agenda.
The Chatham Borough Council will vote on a resolution filling the role of deputy director of the Department of Public Works when it meets Monday. Erminio Torello was hired by the council in 1989 as a roads and parks laborer, and since then has worked as a certified public works manager, T-2 water treatment operator, W-2 water distribution operator, C-2 sewer operator and New Jersey compost operator. The appointment comes almost one year after Charles Dziedzic, the former deputy DPW director, was killed in a car accident while returning home from a road trip with Administrator Robert Falzarano and his brother George. The borough council will also vote on whether to introduce a new ordinance amending the parking code to allow certain …
R. Swanson
1:16 pm on Wednesday, June 12, 2013
Perhaps the Township does not see a community garden as a justifiable expenditure of funds in lean budgetary times. It doesn't benefit the "community". It benefits a small handful of people who choose to do their gardening there instead of in their own back yards. Budgets are tight, and I give the Township credit for not spending money on an un-essential service that benefits a very small number … more ›