Homeowners seeking help

Ask Township Committee to maintain Lenape Court

By: Matt Kirdahy
   Residents of Lenape Court want the township to take over maintenance of their road.
   They say the road is cracked and floods, that it’s unsafe and that no one has been responsible for maintenance. They say the township could address these problems if it would accept the road as a public street.
   The township, however, is concerned that the road does not meet township standards and would cost taxpayers too much to repair. They want homeowners to pay for the costs of repairing the road and landscaped island at the end of the street before they will consider making it a public street.
   Lenape Court was constructed as part of a five-unit housing development off Petty Road. Four of the five houses are occupied but the fifth is still under construction.
   The development was approved with Lenape Court as a private street that was to be gated from Petty Road, according to developer John Ely. Each homeowner was given 20 percent ownership of the road as part of the purchase of their properties.
   Mr. Ely built the road and then sold the five lots. The homeowners each hired their own contractors to build their houses.
   Because Lenape is a private road, the residents are responsible for maintenance and snow removal on the road.
   Now the residents of Lenape Court neighbors are seeking help from the township. They want the township to take over the road, but must first bring the road to township standards.
   Mr. Ely said that, once the lots were sold, the completion of the road became the residents’ responsibility. He said he was responsible for the engineering and subdivision plans and for putting down an asphalt base at the beginning of construction.
   Roger Trupin of 2 Lenape Court said the homeowners were unaware of this and that now there are problems with the road. These problems arose after Mr. Ely sold all of the lots along with his obligations to complete or maintain the road.
   "It’s riddled with cracks and holes because the original developer left the asphalt in poor condition," Mr. Trupin said. "That along with the excess water after a storm around the circle have made traveling in and out of our driveways difficult."
   He said that the area around the landscaped island at the end of the road "almost serves as a catch basin" for water after a rain or snowstorm. The road floods and the conditions worsen, he said.
   Robert Bartoletti of 3 Lenape Court also said he’d like to see the township take over the road.
   "There are no advantages to owning this private driveway," Mr. Bartoletti said. "There’s a lot to be desired as far as the condition of the road. So for us, it’s a liability."
   The Township Committee is reviewing the request and is concerned about the cost. Township Engineer Cathleen Marcelli has identified several problems with the road that need to be fixed before the township should consider the residents’ request.
   She said the landscaped island that runs down the center of the cul de sac should either be removed, maintained regularly or have a curb installed around its perimeter. Also the current asphalt base of the road should have 2 more inches of asphalt applied, making it a level driveway.
   The residents of Lenape Court said they want to find a way to make the road more appealing to the committee. The committee has no plans to vote on the request at the time being.
   "As homeowners, we’re exploring our options," Mr. Bartoletti said. "So we can then be afforded the same services as the other taxpayers."