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Memorial, Summit top road improvement list
(by Maggie Fazeli Fard - February 28, 2008)
At its meeting of Feb. 26, the Montvale Mayor and Council authorized the borough engineer to commence designs for two road projects on Memorial Drive and Summit Drive, but decided to hold off on passing a resolution to put this year’s road improvement plan out to bid until the 2008 municipal budget is underway.
The proposed 2008 road improvement program would tackle resurfacing of Candlelight Drive, Olde Lantern Court, Moulton Drive, Hillside Terrace, West Drive and Crestview Terrace for a total estimated cost of $691,062.50, including more than $80,000 in miscellaneous upgrades to borough streets.
The municipal budget would determine just how much of this work would get done, explained Engineer Andrew Hipolit of Maser Consulting, and the council agreed not to move forward with the bidding process until work on the budget had commenced. The first scheduled budget meeting was scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 28; the budget was not scheduled for introduction on that date.
More urgent was authorizing Hipolit to design projects for Memorial and
Summit , which can be paid for using grant money that the borough already has.
Hipolit said that an ideal time frame is to design the plans in February or March and put the plans out to bid in April and May. Work could be done over the summer months and be completed, said Hipolit, before school starts.
“We need at least approval to move forward with the design,” said Hipolit. “The later we wait to start the design on this, the longer it’s going to take [to complete].”
The proposed Memorial Drive project would involve paving the existing roadway, parking area and bike path, but would not include paving behind the DPW building or senior center. The total estimated cost is $423,600; the borough has secured a $225,000 grant for this project.
“You’re getting a lot for your dollar,” Hipolit told the mayor and council.
It took a little more convincing to get the council on board with the Summit Avenue project. Council President Lorna Scully questioned the need to put money towards
Summit when the road was included in the 2007 road improvement plan.
“Roads require maintenance every year,” Hipolit told her, explaining that last year’s work was likely very basic to patch up problem areas. This year’s project, he said, would protect the base. “Once the base deteriorates, you have to do reconstruction,” which would triple the cost.
Additionally, said Hipolit, the borough is currently sitting on a $150,000 grant to be used on
Summit .
The full project would cover Summit Avenue from Spring Valley Road up to the
New York
State border for an estimated cost of $237,450.
Hipolit said that his firm will design the project with the goal of reaching the
New York border in mind, but will advertise a base bid of $150,000 in accordance with the grant.
“We’ll work our way north until we run out of money,” he said.
Maggie Fazeli Fard's e-mail address is fazelifard@northjersey.com.
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