Sidewalks irk some locals

Overlooked those in disrepair, fixing what isn’t broken

By:Sarah Winkelman
   Some residents affected by the impending downtown sidewalk replacement program voiced concerns about the process earlier this week, saying the township didn’t properly evaluate the walkways in need of repair.
   Residents told the Township Committee Monday that it had overlooked some sidewalks that were in need of repair and are targeting many that are perfectly fine.
   "I have neighbors with sidewalks that weren’t condemned and they are in worse shape then mine," said Bruce Gunia of Park Place East. "One neighbor has at least a 6-inch heave from tree roots but that sidewalk wasn’t rated poor and mine was. I think arbitrary methods were used to determine which sidewalks need to be replaced."
   According to a study by Township Engineer Cathy Marcelli, approximately 50 residents of South Main Street, Station Road, Bunker Hill Drive, Westminster Place, Park Place East and West, Wesley Place, Prospect Street and Maplewood and Scott avenues have sidewalks rated poor. In September 2001, she evaluated 19,430 feet of sidewalk in the village and identified 46 percent as being in "good" condition, 33 percent as "fair" and 21 percent as "poor." Those with sidewalks rated "poor" are included in the first phase of the sidewalk replacement program.
   Ms. Marcelli said sidewalks rated "poor" were those that presented a tripping hazard, meaning they have a 1-inch heave or more, or were severely deteriorated.
   In 2002, the township passed a sidewalk maintenance ordinance that requires residents to repair their sidewalks if they become hazardous and authorizes the Township Committee to undertake repairs if the property owner chooses not to. The owner would then be billed by the township for the cost of the repairs.
   Mr. Gunia, however, did not agree with Ms. Marcelli’s evaluation, claiming his entire sidewalk did not need replacing.
   "I only have two squares that need to be replaced, not the whole thing," he said. "And not for $2,000."
   Mr. Gunia said he did research on the Internet and that Ms. Marcelli’s methodology for determining which sidewalks needed to be replaced was flawed.
   "Until we have an accepted methodology or ordinance outlining the criteria for poor sidewalks, I think the arbitrary methods used are unfair for evaluating the sidewalks," Mr. Gunia said.
   Committeewoman Pari Stave said the township’s criteria included at least a 1-inch heave, but left the final determination of the condition up to Ms. Marcelli.
   Ms. Stave said that if a sidewalk is hazardous it needs to be replaced and said the township is willing to work with each homeowner on a case by case basis.
   "If you feel that only two squares need to be replaced then we will come back out and reassess the sidewalk," she said.
   Bill Bunting of Prospect Street agreed that the township should have made the criteria for poor sidewalks clear from the beginning.
   "I agree that there should be standards written out so there is no room for argument," he said. "We should not be leaving these decisions up to the discretion of the engineer."
   He also said the township might be responsible for the cost of some of the damaged sidewalks because of trees Cranbury planted.
   "The town plants trees and they cause problems when their roots heave the sidewalks," Mr. Bunting said. "If the tree is planted by the town then they should be the ones to replace the sidewalks, not the homeowners."
   Ms. Stave said homeowners will have to prove that the town planted the trees. If they can make a case, the town will replace sidewalks damaged by tree roots.
   Wynnewood Drive resident Richard Kallan said the Shade Tree Commission should keep records or a master list of the trees they plant to avoid confusion in the future.
   "We’re going to be continuing sidewalk replacements so we should know what trees the township owns and which are the responsibility of the homeowner," he said.
   The commission currently does not keep records of the trees it plants, according to Ms. Marcelli. Some residents suggested asking longtime residents if they could recall what trees were planted by the township, but Ms. Stave cautioned using a person’s recollection as truth.
   Adrienne Kemp of Station Road said the cost of the project could have been offset by grant money.
   "We were quoted $60 per square foot, which seems a little excessive," she said. "Was any effort made to get grant money to offset the costs?"
   Ms. Marcelli said grant money like that used for Cranbury Neck Road and Plainsboro Road sidewalks could not be used to maintain private sidewalks.
   "State grant money can only be used to build new sidewalks, not repair existing ones," she said.
   Ms. Kemp said Township Administrator Fred Carr should look into grants from the Middlesex County Improvement Authority.
   "I’ve watched this issue unfold for years and the one thing I want to say is that the state requires homeowners to maintain their sidewalks so they are not a hazard to the rest of the public," Ms. Stave said. "The town has agreed to take on all the soft costs like hiring a contractor, doing a survey and inspections in an effort to make things easier for everyone involved. Ultimately, this will all be to the benefit of the homeowner. If someone trips and falls because your sidewalk was unsafe, you could be sued. We need to make this a community effort for safe pedestrian traffic."
   Committeewoman Becky Beauregard said she was concerned that the process had become unnecessarily complicated.
   "Every time the sidewalk issue comes up there is a failure on the part of the entire community and the township to understand one another," she said. "There is always miscommunication about something and we need to address these issues during the next phase of the sidewalk replacement program. For now, though, I hope individual property owners will call Fred (Carr) and talk to him about their issues so they can understand the methodology used in determining what sidewalks need to be repaired."
   Diamond Construction of Dunellen will begin repairs on downtown sidewalks during the summer. Approximately 3,500 linear feet of sidewalk will be replaced. The construction cost does not include tree removal or the replacement of driveway aprons or curbing.
   Residents had two options under the township’s plan: to repair their own sidewalks or have the township repair them and bill homeowners over a 10-year period through a special sidewalk assessment on their tax bills.
   The township hired contractors in a bidding process to fix the sidewalks, which officials said resulted in a lower rate for the work because contractors were likely to give the municipality a better price for materials due to the larger size of the project.
   Sidewalk replacement will be "in kind" according to Ms. Marcelli, which means that a resident with a concrete sidewalk cannot opt to have it replaced with brick.
   Residents wishing to contest the rating of their sidewalk are asked to contact Mr. Carr at Town Hall.