By Audrey Levine, Staff Writer
Borough Council is hoping to alleviate some parking issues with the recent unanimous approval of a plan to use Kaschak Boulevard for about 40 new spaces.
”This is a solution we could do quickly,” council President Sue Asher, who suggested the plan April 7, said in a separate interview. “Maybe we can finish it before the end of the month.”
The road, Ms. Asher said, is owned by the borough, but is currently blocked off by the fencing surrounding the Rustic Mall property. The fence, she said, is actually owned by Rustic Mall LLC, the property’s owners.
Several council members questioned whether the Rustic Mall owners would approve of moving the fence, or if they would object to the project. According to Ms. Asher, in a separate interview, they cannot stop the borough from moving forward with this plan because Manville owns the road itself.
”They can’t stop this project because the borough owns Kaschak Boulevard,” she said. “They should move the fence. But I don’t think it would be a big deal for the Department of Public Works to do.”
| ‘We are trying very hard to work together. Using Kaschak Boulevard is a solution we could do quickly.’
Council President Sue Asher
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Basically, Ms. Asher said, the borough could move the part of the fence surrounding the Rustic Mall, which cuts off the boulevard where it runs perpendicular to State Bank Plaza, behind the Main Street storefronts. It would be a matter, she said, of pulling out some existing poles and putting in additional fencing to outline the roadway and make way for the parked cars.
The road itself, Ms. Asher said, will not be paved and curbed, but will remain stone to save money.
Ms. Asher said she originally presented the idea for opening Kaschak Boulevard during a recent meeting with the Rustic Mall owners, and there did not seem to be any objections to the plan. Now, she said, she is hoping to move forward as quickly as possible, especially as the weather is getting warmer and people will want to come out to Main Street for shopping.
Aside from this, Ms. Asher said, she also asked the owners about moving the fence surrounding the Rustic Mall and behind Dunkin’ Donuts and the other adjacent businesses, on South Main Street one car length back to allow for more room for parking and driving along that road.
The Rustic Mall owners refused, she said.
”They said no because of insurance issues,” she said, noting the owners would then be liable for any damages or injuries from parking on the Rustic Mall property.
”We are trying very hard to work together,” Ms. Asher said. “Using Kaschak Boulevard is a solution we could do quickly.”
As for rebuilding on the property, Ms. Asher said this was also discussed during the recent meeting with Rustic Mall LLC, but current required tests are preventing building. In November 2008, she said, the property owners did the first of several tests to ensure that the land is still clean following the creosote cleanup, which was completed in March 2008.
The results for those tests, Ms. Asher said, should be released sometime this month.
One more set of tests is required in November 2009, with results due in March or April 2010.
”It’s not realistic to do anything now because of more testing,” she said. “We are still trying to get off the (Superfund) list.”
If both sets of tests are negative, Ms. Asher said, the borough and property owners can move forward with redevelopment plans. If not, more cleanup of the land will be required.
”If we get the first results this month, we can start looking at plans for the land,” she said. “But we can do nothing until all the tests are done in April 2010. We will have that eyesore until 2010.”

