Thursday, May 17, 2012
To date there have been no applications for permits to rent spots in private parking lots; some residents are asking questions as to what the rules are.
Some residents have been questioning what the situation is regarding parking at private lots belonging to commercial properties or non-profit organizations since an ordinance that puts restrictions on what type of vehicles and how long they can be parked was put in place. Since Jan. 1 property owners or managers need to apply for a permit from the building department in order to rent parking spaces to vehicles for overnight parking. According to the ordinance, vehicles can be parked at these lots from 6 p.m. to 8 a.m. provided the property owner has a permit. The ordinance also sets a size limitation that vehicles must be 20 feet, no wider than 9 feet and no greater in height than 10 feet. As per the size limit, vehicles like box trucks …
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Officials may consider introducing an ordinance that would require permits for soil movement during construction or improvement projects.
Officials may consider introducing an ordinance that would require property owners to seek a permit before moving soil on and off the property as part of big or small construction or upgrade projects. Currently the borough does not have anything in place that would require one to seek a permit for adding landfill for example, explained Ken Job, the borough’s engineer who recommended the mayor and council consider this. He referred to a recent construction project in town involving a property owner looking to raise the land by two-feet with landfill in order to build a parking lot as an example of why permits for moving soil should be required. Small yard projects, such as constructing a flower bed, could fall into the need for a permit if …
Mayor and governor have fun with their images
Just because they're the state's two most prominent politicians doesn't mean they don't have a sense of humor. The office of Gov. Chris Christie yesterday released a lighthearted video co-starring Newark Mayor Cory Booker as a peripatetic go-to guy, riffing off his now national-scale image as a man of action following his rescue of a neighbor from a burning building several weeks ago. As the Democratic mayor of the state's largest city is depicted doing everything from coming up with a spare guitar for Bruce Springsteen to catching a falling baby, a faux-frustrated Christie hisses "Booker!" The video was produced for the New Jersey Press Association's Legislative Correspondent's Club show. Click on the video above to see the Cory and Chris…
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Same-sex marriage, abortion rights at issue in televised debate
Democrat incumbent Congressmen Steve Rothman and Bill Pascrell Jr. faced off Monday night at Montclair State University in a heated debate with both candidates touting their liberal voting records. Rothman said he supported same-sex marriage before Pascrell did and cited his record of support for a woman’s right to choose. Pascrell, who was recently endorsed by former President Bill Clinton, said he voted with President Obama 94 percent of the time, according to an Associated Press report. "I'd say I am the progressive voice of the Democratic Party represented here. I am the Democrat's Democrat up here," Rothman said, wnyc.org reported. Rothman also said senior Obama campaign adviser David Axelrod would support him. Rothman touted his …
Monday, May 14, 2012
Republican legislators propose naming a highway in northwestern New Jersey for the nation's 40th president.
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Monday, May 14
"The Great Communicator" may soon have a stretch of New Jersey highway named after him. Under a bill introduced earlier this year by Republican legislators in the Deomcrat-controlled Assembly, the late President Ronald Reagan would have a state highway in northwestern New Jersey named in his honor, according to a report in the Star-Ledger. Only one former president — Warren Harding — has received such as an accolade in New Jersey, with a stretch of Route 48 in Salem County named in his honor. If approved by the state Assembly and Senate, and then signed by Gov. Christie, the legislation would designate Route 15, a 19.5-mile state highway in northwestern New Jersey, as the "Ronald Reagan Memorial Highway." Reagan died in 2004.
Friday, May 11, 2012
Borough engineer reports that the state Department of Transportation continues to remediate the drainage system but lack of regular maintenance continues to be a problem.
Maintenance of the water basin located at the base of Route 17 South at Franklin Avenue which the state Department of Transportation put in a few years back continues to be an issue for the borough. Borough Engineer Ken Job reported this week that the DOT has continued to perform remedial work to the basin, most recently finishing the low flow channels which have improved the draining at the site. However the site is still not being maintained by the DOT regularly, he said. Some work was done to the vegetation at the site but Job explained that the type of vegetation which grows at the site will need to be maintained at least once a month. A main concern is that overgrowth of the vegetation could affect the hydraulics of the site, he …
In addition to new fencing on Franklin Avenue side, a small pavilion will be added and walkways will be paved.
The makeover to Depken athletic field should get underway this summer. Borough Engineer Ken Job said this week the specs for the decorative fence, which will now be put on the Franklin Avenue side, have been completed and will now seek proposals. Back and forth discussion with neighboring residents over the design of the fence finally led to the borough’s decision to go with a decorative design like the fence along Oldfield Avenue. In addition to the new fencing, Job said upgrades also include the addition of a small pavilion and shelter, the same size as the one at Central Avenue Park. He said there are also pathways that have never been paved which will now be taken care of and they will also create a paved area for ambulances to park …
Thursday, May 10, 2012
With the "moratorium" deadline approaching and the USPS' announcement that it won't plan to close up to 3,700 'rural' post offices, the fate of the Heights office has still not been officially determined.
The fate of the Hasbrouck Heights Post Office should be decided soon as the May 15 “moratorium” deadline is approaching and the United States Postal Service has now announced it no longer plans to close post offices in some areas. The USPS agreed in December it would not make any decision to close any post offices or facilities until after May 15 in order to give Congress time to find an alternative, a spokesperson told Patch previously. On Wednesday, the USPS announced a plan that it would not close up to 3,700 post offices in rural areas and will instead plan to reduce hours at up to 13,000 rural post offices, according to The Wall Street Journal. It was not clear if rural areas is meant to include post offices in areas like Hasbrouck …
Construction will be done to revitalize the Boulevard from Jefferson to Hamilton
Work to refurbish the next two streets along the Boulevard may begin as early as two days after the May 20 street fair. Borough Engineer Ken Job said Tuesday that a tentative date of May 22 is set for work to begin for phases three and fourth of this ongoing Boulevard Streetscape project which will install new sidewalks, pavers and lighting to both sides of the Boulevard from Jefferson to Franklin to Hamilton. The area will be made to look like the part of the Boulevard from Washington up to Jefferson, stages one and two, which was done summer 2010. Back in March officials agreed to push the project back another two months until just after the annual street fair event which takes place along the Boulevard. The first steps in the work will…
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
President made his historic pronouncement during an interview with ABC News.
President Barack Obama has publically come out in support of same sex marriage, the first time in history that a sitting U.S. president has ever done so. Obama gave the news to ABC News' Robin Roberts in an interview that will air on ABCs “Good Morning America" on Thursday. "I have to tell you that over the course of several years as I have talked to friends and family and neighbors when I think about members of my own staff who are in incredibly committed monogamous relationships, same-sex relationships, who are raising kids together, when I think about those soldiers or airmen or Marines or sailors who are out there fighting on my behalf and yet feel constrained, even now that Don't Ask Don't Tell is gone, because they are not able to …
Prentiss Gray
8:37 am on Sunday, May 20, 2012
This is just an "image softener" for Christie. While his gruff, barking manner has kind of grown on me, I doubt it would do him much good on the national stage. As to his performance against Joe Biden in a VP debate, I seriously doubt he would do well at all. Biden is a seasoned professional, who always comes of as a nice friendly sensible guy, even to those who vehemently disagree with him. … more ›