Council OKs curbs, sidewalk on Newton Avenue

The Borough Council authorized a curbing and sidewalk project on Newton Avenue this year and authorized funds to design a project on Ley Place during its meeting April 4.

Borough Administrator Toni Smith said design plans for the Main Street project were expected to be submitted to the state Department of Transportation (DOT) on Monday, April 10.

The Newton Avenue project is expected to begin this year and continue as long as money is available. It will start at Elizabeth Avenue and move southwest out of the borough toward Wantage.

According to an email to borough officials from borough engineer Harold Pellow, it could take four or five months to engineer the project, receive and review bids, and complete construction. If work starts in mid-April, the project could be done by the middle of August or September, he noted.

Pellow’s email also said it was difficult to prepare traffic-control plans for the Main Street project because Main Street is being changed to a one-way street and because of bump-outs on Harrison Street and Newton Avenue.

Once DOT officials approve the traffic-control plan, bids may be received in June or July. Construction is expected to take four months.

The council president, Robert Holowach, said the council will hold a hearing on the Main Street project and plans to make Pellow available to residents and business owners who would be affected by it.

Leaving Main Street open to two-way traffic would require eliminating parking near the old Sussex Inn.

“You can’t fit two cars side by side, and once we got involved with DOT to do Main Street, which we needed their approval, that’s where all this came up,” Holowach said. “They said that’s unsafe (and) we had to do something now.”

Mayor Edward Meyer said professionals looking to develop businesses want walkable town centers.

“When you want to have a walkable town center, you need to have safety, and that’s the one reason Mr. Pellow suggested to the DOT that we limit the direction that they chose is best for safety,” he said. “It’s going to limit not only the trucks but the cars.”

When the plan is ready, residents and business owners will be able to comment on it, he said.

Pellow grew up in Sussex Borough and his opinions are highly valued by the council, the mayor added.