$80,000 earmarked by council for repairs
By: Nick Norlen
WEST WINDSOR They say the roots of small flowers can crack concrete.
In West Windsor, tree roots are moving whole slabs of it.
As many of the trees that line the streets of township neighborhoods mature, their growing roots are creating aesthetic and safety concerns for township officials and residents.
Council discussed the issue at length during a budget workshop Monday, where it earmarked $80,000 for a sidewalk repair program for the next two years.
According to township Engineer Jim Parvesse, it’s a recurring budget item.
"We budget $80,000 every other year, and this is one of the years where we allocate the funds," he said.
Through the program, residents with sidewalks displaced or damaged by tree roots can contact the engineering division to be placed on a list for repair.
"Basically, we take complaints or register people who have called up with an issue, log all the people, generate plans of inspection, go out to bid (and) make repairs," Mr. Parvesse said.
He said the township always completes all of the repair requests it receives up to 200 within a two-year period.
But Mr. Parvesse said the program only covers damage caused by tree roots not "abnormal settlement or deterioration."
"It really is a homeowner responsibility. It’s just something we’re assisting with," he said, noting that liability for injuries that occur as a result of damaged sidewalks on residents’ property could be "in their corner."
During the Monday meeting, Councilman Charles Morgan said he was uncomfortable with the fact that only certain homeowners receive the township-funded repairs.
He called it "an equity issue," and raised the possibility of creating an assessment system to charge for the service.
Councilman Franc Gambatese disagreed, noting that repairs are made on a first-come first-served basis.
"Personally, I think the township should foot the bill. This town has really gone out of their way to encourage tree growth and they’ve made developments put trees in and that’s a good thing," he said. "To me, it’s not the residents’ fault that the township made them do that."
Councilwoman Heidi Kleinman called the number of sidewalks needing repair a "moving target," and said the task may never get fully accomplished.
She said the township should think about using alternative materials, such as blacktop or recycled rubber, to avoid the problem in the future.
"We are creating this maintenance problem when there are alternatives," she said.
As far as other preventative measures, Mr. Morgan suggested working with township Landscape Architect Daniel Dobromilsky to encourage planting trees with deeper root systems.
Mr. Gambatese said he likes that idea, noting that the township should consider cherry trees, the blossoms of which could create an annual event for the town.
But Mr. Parvesse said it might not be so simple.
"It’s one of those situations where it’s hard to predict," he said. "Even trees that don’t have higher root systems can lift sidewalks."
For now, Mr. Gambatese suggested the possibility of increasing the rate of repairs by implementing a 50-50 cost-sharing program between the township and residents.
"We might consider it if we want to do twice as many sidewalks," he said, noting that such a change would also allow the township to help residents find professionals to complete the work. "Hiring contractors these days is half the battle."
But Mr. Gambatese said he would only pursue such a split if residents were amenable.
"If people didn’t feel great about that, then I just say we should keep the program that we’ve had for 20 or 30 years," he said. "Sidewalks connect neighborhoods and neighborhoods create community and that’s one of the things that our town has been looking at for quite a while.