paving program as
area that needs work
Official points to
paving program as
area that needs work
BY MAURA DOWGIN
Staff Writer
EDISON — Many accomplishments were noted in the township this year, according to Township Council President Peter Barnes.
In the beginning of the year, the council approved rent control ordinances that ensure people can not be pushed out of their apartments through marked rent increases, Barnes said.
Recently, a rent-control board was appointed to make sure the laws are being followed, he added.
The council has been working to improve the quality of life of all Edison residents, according to Barnes.
The township working hard to help people living in the Silverlake Avenue neighborhood is one example of this, he said.
The council has passed ordinances that will help the people of the neighborhood with the increased truck traffic on the street due to Railroad Construction Company, whose corporate headquarters is in Paterson, opening a warehouse facility on Silverlake Avenue over the summer.
"We really did try to help [the neighborhood] by reducing the speed limit [for the trucks], trying to get the road paved, putting up signs and increasing the police presence," Barnes said.
Also, the Mount Laurel lawsuit the township has been fighting for two years has come to an end, he said.
The township now has to build more housing to satisfy its state affordable housing requirements. However, no new housing will have to be built in the next six years.
"The settlements that we have, along with the master plan, provide six years of protection," Barnes said.
The Planning Board adopted a new township master plan in August, he said.
The completion and adoption of a new plan is a huge accomplishment for any town, according to Barnes.
Administration officials also made many improvements to the township’s parks, and plans to make more park improvements in the upcoming year, according to officials
There is room for improvement in some areas, according to the council president.
The township could do a better job paving streets, Barnes said.
In 2004, the council hopes to do a "complete study and comprehensive repair" of many streets within the township.
The "number one complaint" of citizens is the disrepair of some of the roads within the township, he said.
The council also hopes to keep municipal taxes stable in the upcoming year, he said.