Politics & Government

'Poor' Relationship With Park Commission Behind Crosswalk Delay

County Park Commission Executive Director discusses setbacks incurred with project.

Washington Township Mayor Kenneth Short characterized the relationship between the municipality and the Morris County Park Commission "poor" and lacking effective communication.

The talks were a part of a Board of Chosen Freeholders meeting held in Washington Township last Wednesday. Hosting the event, local officials were able to voice their concerns regarding county-related issues.

“The relationship with the Park Commission (seems) poor,” said Short. “It took two to three years to get a crosswalk on Schooley's Mountain Road. What we need is better communication.”

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“Historically, there’s been a good relationship with Washington Township,” said Morris County Park Commission Executive Director, Dave Helmer, before explaining the issues with the crosswalk.

According to Helmer, the crosswalk could not be installed until the proper legal precautions were made to gain access behind Frazier Steel.

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“We were asked to provide a crosswalk because of the increased trail use activities and increase in retail sales in the area,” said Helmer. “After approval from the State Department of Transportation, it was handed down to the county level.”

Afterward, he said, current regulations had the crosswalk deemed to be a ‘mid-street crosswalk,’ meaning there would have to be access on both sides of the road. However, the trail was only on the westbound side of Schooley's Mountain.

“The trail was yet to be constructed on the east (near the retail outlets and bank),” said Helmer. “So we couldn’t go in until the trail went in.”

Between 2009 and 2011, said Helmer, resurfacing was completed for the length of the Columbia Trail, amounting to about $300,000. But there was still no trail access behind Frazier Steel on Fairmont Avenue. 

“It wasn’t until last year where there was an agreement with Frazier Steel for the trail and fencing, to connect with land owned by the (township’s) Land Trust,” said Helmer. “(At that point), there was a formal trail on both sides, so there was permission to install.”

“A lot of the problem had to do with communication,” he added. “A lot of pieces had to be put together. But there’s a lot invested in the area, so we wouldn’t (just) walk away…”

He went on to say that time must be allotted for complicated projects such as these, which require state and county approvals and careful considerations to be made from a legal context.

“We understand that trail users probably didn’t understand (the situation) and continued to ride their bikes wherever they saw fit,” said Helmer. “But from a legal perspective, we had to show where the trail ended…It was probably my fault for not communicating effectively.”

The executive director than praised the town for their diligence in following up on the situation. He said that during the project’s upswing, a member of the township police department would call him regularly to see how the project was progressing.

Also, he said that after last week’s meeting, a town committeeman approached him saying that since the Columbia Trail has been improved, there’s been “many, many” more trail users, so the lack of a crosswalk became a rather large impediment. 


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