Bergenfield — An article entitled “Highgate Terrace: The Shame of Bergenfield” by JLNJ columnists Rabbi Mordechai and Nina Glick, published August 20, 2015, highlighted an issue that caused explosive interest from the newspaper’s readership. The “New in the Neighborhood” writers explained that one of their neighboring streets in Bergenfield was so full of potholes, that a gravely injured resident, Moshe Skoczylas, had broken five wheelchairs trying to maneuver the street. The article was read more than 1,000 times in just 12 hours, and was shared on social media extensively through the weekend and beyond.
Many readers took to social media to share their opinions. “Our children live on Highgate,” said Brenda Gardenswartz, a JLNJ reader. “I am in a wheelchair. When I walk over to visit them every week, I am literally in danger of falling into craters, not potholes, and falling out of my chair. It has become impossible to navigate down the street,” she wrote on Facebook.
“[It] could be the worst street for driving in Bergenfield. We (my wife) blew a tire there around a month ago and now we avoid driving on the street if possible. Why can’t they fix it already?” asked Jason Pfeiffer, another JLNJ reader.
The elected official reaction to the article was just as swift. As soon as word got out that an article had been printed, lamenting the fact that work has not started, both Bergenfield Councilwoman and mayoral candidate Ora Kornbluth and Mayor Norman Schmelz were quick to point out that the Highgate Terrace project is on the Bergenfield Council’s agenda for their September 1 meeting. “The council has authorized engineering drawings which have been submitted. After discussion and approval, they can go out for bid,” said Schmelz.
“We hope the project will be started this fall,” said Kornbluth. In fact, she told the Jewish Link, “a stopgap measure” to level the sidewalks was made by the town earlier this spring, due to safety concerns for the family. “We cemented the sidewalks from the Skoczylas house all the way to the end of the street, so he could get to shul,” she said.
In an interview, Schmelz explained that an engineering firm had been retained in June for the job. Dave Gleassey of Remington and Vernick in Secaucus will present his engineer’s report at the upcoming meeting September 1, at which time the job will be bidded out, meaning that eligible firms will be invited to estimate the cost of the work and provide a formal bid.
Getting bids from companies to do the work will take a month at minimum, and then, while conceivably the job could begin immediately after that, the weather is a consideration. “Unless we have a really warm October, I would recommend not paving until spring. Asphalt doesn’t adhere or pack as well when it’s cold,” said Corey Gallo, Bergenfield’s Borough Administrator.
“It’s more than just a resurfacing job,” said Gallo. In addition to making sure utility update work has been done on the street, there are additional considerations for the project, which is expected to cost the city in excess of $300,000. “We have to put in storm drains, curbs, cement work and sidewalks, and the storm drain work has to be a continuation of the other part of the street that’s been completed already,” he said.
Gallo was referring to the fact that the Highgate Terrace resurfacing project was divided into two parts because of the high cost of updating the street, which necessitated that the council divide the project’s cost between two fiscal years so as not to drain city resources. The first resurfacing of Highgate, between Newbridge Road and Westminster Gate, was begun and completed in 2013. The second part, between Westminster Gate and Churchill Road, was expected to be completed in 2014, except, Gallo explained, that due to the previous Borough Administrator not completing administrative work with the council’s Finance Committee, there was no budget at all for capital expenditures in 2014. “He didn’t bond for capital improvements. He didn’t formulate his plans quick enough,” said Gallo of his predecessor.
“No roads were fixed in 2014. The town didn’t purchase any equipment. And then he resigned,” explained Gallo. Two different engineering firms’ records will now have to be aligned and consulted, as the engineering firm that did the 2013 work on Highgate Terrace is not the one currently retained. This need for alignment of storm drains and the like certainly accounts for some of the delay in the process since the engineering firm began its work in June.
There are 12 capital improvement process that were delayed in 2014, as was the second part of the Highgate project. Out of a budget of $2.66 million, several of Bergenfield’s sewer lines, drainage systems and storm drains in other areas of the town will be updated as part of 2015’s capital improvements.
By Elizabeth Kratz
