After more than three public meetings, the Haddonfield Borough Commissioners are moving forward with the 2012 road program, but have tabled discussions about the construction of a specific stretch of sidewalk on Washington Avenue.
For three weeks the commissioners discussed the possible construction of a sidewalk along Washington Avenue in the Upland Way section of the roadway, where a sidewalk currently doesn’t exist on one side of Washington Avenue. Residents came out en masse to the 6 p.m. work session meeting on Thursday, July 5, to protest the plans.
After listening to complaints for about two hours during the work session, the commissioners agree to pass the 2012 road program base bid, but to wait on the decision to construct the sidewalks.
During the brief regularly schedule action meeting, the commissioners approved the base bid for the road program, awarding it to Asphalt Paving Systems, Inc., for $397,000.
The construction of the proposed sidewalks is about $97,000. Several residents questioned the need for a sidewalk at the proposed location along Washington Avenue, claiming that it would necessitate the removal of shade trees and would make the flooding issues along the roadway even worse.
A sidewalk along Washington Avenue from Lincoln to Kings Highway is still scheduled to be constructed in the road program package. No residents had any problem with that stretch of sidewalk.
Paul Zoubek, a resident of Washington Avenue, thanked the borough commissioners for discussing the issue of sidewalks at length with the resident, but said that it seems like the negatives of installing the walkways outweighed the proposed positives of a new sidewalk.
The commissioners have said that the construction of a new sidewalk coincides with the proposed road program. If a road is going to be resurfaced and worked on, the commissioners stated that the borough engineer will determine if a sidewalk should be installed along the roadway if one already isn’t there.
Commissioner Ed Borden at a previous meeting said sidewalks improve safety, improve the walkability of the town, and improve property values.
The commissioners will make a final decision on the sidewalks at their Monday, July 23 meeting at 7:30 p.m. The questions from the residents of the Washington Avenue neighborhood will be forwarded to the borough engineer, who will give the commissioners his answers.
