Business group wants to save 36 spaces.
By: John Patten
Members of the Manville Business and Professional Association hope traffic engineer Gary Dean of Watchung Association can lead their fight against county plans to eliminate 36 parking spots along South Main Street.
Monday, Mr. Dean and several MBPA members went to the Borough Council meeting to make sure the borough is with them in the fight.
"If we can get the county to say we can reinstate … some of those parking spaces, will you support it?" Oscar Gonzalez, owner of Discount Furniture and Mattress, asked the council members.
The council members agreed they would to a point.
At issue are parking spots across streets intersecting Main Street, such as South, Dakota and Rosalie streets. According to Somerset County Traffic Engineer Michael Amorosa, state law does not permit parking across from such intersections, and when the county repaved Main Street, parking spots in those areas were not marked.
The county says it will permanently mark parking spots on Main Street in the spring, and business and borough officials hope to save some of the spots before then. Mr. Dean, who has been hired by the MBPA to research possible steps the borough can take to keep the parking spaces, told the council members Monday he had been able to help other communities save parking spaces, noting the state law allows for communities to regulate their own parking areas.
According to Mr. Dean, the law cited as requiring the elimination of the parking spots is only for areas where local ordinances do not regulate parking.
"State law prohibits parking by fire hydrants are you saying we can allow parking in front of a fire hydrant?" Borough Attorney Doug Reina asked incredulously.
Mr. Dean responded by saying if the borough conducted a study proven such parking would not jeopardize public safety, then it would be possible.
Mr. Dean added the borough can protect the spaces because they’ve always been there.
"There is nothing that led to the elimination of those parking spaces except for the selective enforcement of this law which has been in place for 40 years," he said.
But Mayor Angelo Corradino and the council members were skeptical of Mr. Dean’s points.
"We were told by our attorney, our police chief, the Somerset County traffic engineer, our engineer that Title 39 says we can’t put parking spaces there," Mayor Corradino said.
Mr. Dean said he plans to obtain maps from the county showing exactly where the parking spots are planned to be placed, then he could measure the distances to see if more can be added. He said he will work with the county to try and alter the plans.
"We can’t put this town at risk for any liability," Mayor Corradino said, noting the borough is willing to work with the businesses and Mr. Dean, but will not buck the county if it decides against adding any of the parking spots back into plans.

