Politics & Government

Trick-or-Street: Oradell Council Debates Closing Prospect Ave. for Halloween

Should Prospect Ave be closed for two hours on Halloween to allow children to Trick-or-Treat?

During their Tuesday evening work session, the Oradell Borough Council debated whether or not to close Prospect Ave. for Halloween to allow students from the Oradell Public Schools and resident children a safe place to Trick-or-Treat. 

The question of the street closing came when residents of Prospect approached Councilman Garrie Murphy requesting that the road be closed between Oradell Ave. and Soldier Hill Road on Halloween to ensure the safety of the children as they went from house-to-house Trick-or-Treating. Murphy referred the issue to the Public Safety Committee, who rejected the request, and subsequently added it to Tuesday's agenda for an open dialogue on the question.

The residents requested that the street be closed from approximately 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., but the council considered a two-hour closure, if there was to be a closure at all. The question posed by Murphy, and supported by other council members, was whether a committee can have any say on street closings without the consent of the Mayor and Council. 

Concerns about the street closing include the cost of having police and crossing guards on duty, as well as DPW workers needed to place barricades on the streets intersecting Prospect and then remove them, as well as placing an unnecessary burden on the residents of Prospect Ave.

Although the majority of residents in the audience was in favor of closing the street, some residents said that concentrating the children's Trick-or-Treating on one block may pose an inconvenience to residents of Prospect who may not give out candy. Also, some residents in the audience said that restricting it to one block may result in lawns and gardens being trampled. 

Another concern posed was that closing the street may give the appearance that Halloween Trick-or-Treating is a Borough endorsed event, which the council made clear it is not. 

No consensus on the potential street closing was reached during the meeting. However, the council agreed to have Laura Graham, Borough Clerk, draft a resolution for the council to vote on during its next public meeting. 

Where do you weigh in on the issue of closing Prospect Ave. for Trick-or-Treaters for two hours on Halloween? Tell us in the comments. 

This article was updated 11 a.m. 


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