River Edge Divided on Funding Sidewalk Repairs Caused by Sandy
Officials are split between continuing the past practice of residents paying to replace the slabs or including the cost in next year's capital budget
With numerous sidewalk slabs uprooted by borough trees, River Edge officials and administrators are now split between how to proceed with funding the replacement costs.
The borough currently has an ordinance in effect that places the burden on homeowners to pay for the replacement but much of the damage was caused by borough shade trees resulting in council members questioning to fund the repairs through the capital budget.
"I'm not in favor of charing residents to replace sidewalks that were damaged by one of our trees," Councilman Alphonse Bartelloni said. "It's not right to hit our citizens who are already paying after having a tree fall on their yard or house with the additional cost of sidewalk replacement. I'd like to see about adding it to the capital budget."
A recent meeting with the Riverside Cooperative yielded zero interest in a joint bid for sidewalk repairs, although Borough Administrator Alan Negreann stated that New Milford is in the process of seeking cost estimates for the replacement of 66 sidewalk slabs. So far, New Milford has recieved an estimate of $150 per 4-by-5 slab.
"I would caution the council against creating exceptions that could set precedents that could be used against the borough in the future," Negreann said.
Following Hurricane Irene and prior storms, homeowners have been required to adhere to the ordinance and fund the sidewalk replacements themselves.
For now though the Council has yet to make a decision and will spend additional time discussing how to proceed. The borough is currently waiting on a final list of damaged sidewalk slabs and their locations from DPW Superintendent John Lynch.
The borough will also reach out to New Milford for information on where their cost estimates came from.
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John R. Fugazzie
10:25 am on Thursday, November 29, 2012
The trees between sidewalks and curb are owned by the town, many have not been taken down when they should have been, so clearly this is a town responsibility.
Also replacement of these trees needs to be dealt with and replacement trees need to be slower growing and of varieties that will not cause as much damage in future.
Eamon Harbord
10:55 am on Thursday, November 29, 2012
I believe Shade Tree is planning on planting smaller trees that won't grow as tall as the current ones that have come down so that this problem can be avoided in the future
Susan
10:25 am on Thursday, November 29, 2012
Storm or no storm why should a homeowner be responsible for the damage a town tree does to a town sidewalk. The town does not maintain the trees they are all overgrown into the wires and branches hang low along sidewalks. Try walking you dog sometime all you do is duck branches. The roots of the trees as they grow lift up and break the sidwalks and this becomes the homeowners problem I think it needs to be changed. Maybe someone needs to start a petition.
Patricia Arlin Bradley
3:38 pm on Thursday, November 29, 2012
The town really needs to think about whether it's appropriate to plant trees between the sidewalk and the street, and if so, what types of trees they're planting. Not all trees are suited to the stress put on their roots by being planted in such an inhospitable environment.
Big Daddy Don Garlits
4:47 pm on Thursday, November 29, 2012
The homeowner should pay for the fixes. We pay so little in property taxes, it's the least we can do.
TomW
8:21 am on Friday, November 30, 2012
LOL, love it!
Sue R
12:50 pm on Friday, November 30, 2012
LOL, awesome! On a more serious note, didn't the town just approve a new ordinance where homeowners have to secure a building permit to take down their own trees (minus some sort of havoc wreaking impending threat). So, the town wants to have a say in what homeowners do with private trees. The town also wants to plant their own trees anyway and also require the homeowner to cover the costs of repairs caused by damage from town trees that were planted, but not properly maintained, by the town? Is "assault by tree" a crime, because I feel like a victim.