North Greenwood Avenue Bridge Rehabilitation Project discussed at April meeting.
By Sandra Phelps:
Hopewell Borough Engineer Dennis O’Neal reported on his meeting with New Jersey Department of Transportation (DOT) representatives concerning the North Greenwood Avenue Bridge Rehabilitation Project at the April 2 meeting of the Hopewell Planning Board.
Mr. O’Neal said the DOT accepted maintenance of the bridge when the railroad sold its stock, but no one claimed ownership of the bridge. The North Greenwood Avenue and Van Dyke Road bridges are referred to as "orphan bridges," he said.
Now, the North Greenwood Avenue bridge needs to be replaced, he said. DOT representatives said they want to bring the bridge up to current standards. Mr. O’Neal, who does not know when the bridge was built, said the bridge is in unsafe condition now. There are two girdersone on each side. "They don’t build bridges like that anymore," he noted. Today, redundant bridges with four girders are built, so that if one girder goes down, the bridge won’t fall down, he said.
One of the DOT’s ideas was to make a sidewalk along only one side of the bridge. Mr. O’Neal told them that idea wouldn’t work because people walk on both sides of the bridge all the time, he said. "It may seem like a crazy idea to us, but they don’t know. They don’t live here," he said.
Planning Board members want to be careful about any bridge changes. Because the borough spent $1.2 million on the railroad station renovations, they want a bridge that also reflects careful planning.
As bad as the bridge may look, it hasn’t been bad," said borough Zoning Officer Harry Agin. He could only recall one accident there involving a horse trailer, in which one horse died, and one horse managed to get out.
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The Planning Board, sitting as the Zoning Board of Adjustment, approved a site plan/variance application to Lisa Canzano for an 8-foot, two-story addition to her house at 94 Taylor Terrace.
A side yard variance was required because the required side yard setback is 10-feet, and the applicant proposed a 6-foot setback. Ms. Canzano said she and her husband want the addition on that side of the house because the living room is located there, and they want to expand their living space. The house is angled, so the side yard setback varies from 6.5 feet to more than 12 feet, she said.
The couple plans to continue the roof line and the brick facing of the house on the new addition. They will be relocating a bay window, and no trees will be removed during the construction, she said. They will be adding a fireplace in the upstairs portion of the addition, Ms. Canzano said.
A neighbor at 95 Taylor Terrace was present at the Planning Board meeting to offer support for Ms. Canzano’s plans. Jeff Rice said he saw the plans, and thought they would improve the appearance of the neighborhood.
The adjoining neighbor was not present at the meeting, but Ms. Canzano said she had spoken to them, and they reportedly had no objections to the plans for an addition.
The survey of the property will be updated to show the current front yard setbacks because the older survey shows a 30-foot front yard setback, when actually it is 40 feet.
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Planning Board members approved a certificate of appropriateness to replace the exterior window on the west side of the house at 127 W. Broad St. and to replace the steel casement with a wood casement. The applicant would have to return to the board for reconsideration if any other changes are to be made.
The board also approved a certificate of appropriateness to remove the existing tin roof at Calvary Baptist Church at 3 E. Broad St. and replace it with a dark gray copper roof.
The board approved a certificate of appropriateness to repair a dormer and replace the front porch steps on the house at 83 W. Broad St. where a fire occurred in January. The applicant will return to the board to seek approval for other alterations to the house.
The board approved another certificate for renovations at 48 W. Broad St., including conversion of the second and third floors to apartments, replacing the asbestos shingle siding and roof.
Also, the board approved the addition of a second floor to the house at 10 S. Lanning. The one-story addition will be located to the rear of the house, changing the appearance of the Cape-Cod style house.
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A modified version of the proposed escrow fee revisions will be sent to Borough Council for approval. Some fees listed as current fees were actually 1985 fees and had to be revised, said Mr. O’Neal.
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The Planning Board recommended to the Hopewell Borough Personnel Committee that Board Secretary Donna Griffiths get a salary increase equivalent to that of all other municipal employees. Ms. Griffiths requested the increase.
The Personnel Committee has met, and the Hopewell Borough Council was hoping to introduce a salary ordinance at its April 7 meeting, which was postponed to tonight, April 10.
The next Hopewell Borough Planning Board meeting will be May 7.

