Resident voices concern regarding East Branch Road
by Jane Meggitt, Special Writer
UPPER FREEHOLD — At the May 2 Township Committee meeting, resident Aniko Palfalvi appeared before the governing body for the third time in recent months to complain about the poor condition of East Branch Road.
Ms. Palfalvi lives on this road, located off Route 524 near the Horse Park of New Jersey (HPNJ).
Though she thanked the committee for arranging to fix about 50 percent of the potholes on the road, she said the situation is still very bad and her car is being damaged by the road conditions.
”When I drive [there], it’s worse than a Great Adventure ride,” she said.
Mayor Stan Moslowski Jr., who operates an excavating company, told Ms. Palfalvi that he personally filled in some of the holes on her road.
He agreed that the road was in very bad shape, but that the “real deep” potholes were filled in.
Mayor Moslowski said that while she’ll still feel a bump over the filled-in potholes, they won’t damage her vehicle. He said that as East Branch Road heads toward Route 524, there are large sections of the deteriorating pavement that must be cut out.
”Our Department of Public Works (DPW) director has been busy, but I’m sure they’ll be back,” he said.
Ms. Palfalvi said further that brush on the adjacent property owned by the HPNJ hasn’t been cut back, causing a sight hazard when leaving her driveway.
Mayor Moslowski said that it’s possible the DPW could mow in the right-of-way the next time they are in the area.
In other township business, the committee unanimously amended a 2011 bond ordinance raising the amount of money for development of Reed Park from $1,213,363 to $1,277,225 over a bonding period of 15 years.
The amount includes construction of a building and parking lots, landscaping, relocation of the softball field and all work and necessary materials.
Deputy Mayor Steve Alexander said this would be money well-spent, especially after he learned that the Allentown High School (AHS) boy’s lacrosse team clinched the Colonial Valley Conference division championship before the season was over. Alexander said the current sophomore players at AHS were the first wave of students from the township’s lacrosse recreation program.
Upper Freehold Regional Board of Education liaison Howard Krieger, who attended the meeting, added that the team had won that night against Hopewell, bringing their record is 10-2.
”They’re smoking hot,” he said, adding that the AHS girls’ lacrosse team was also very successful, with several of the female lacrosse players receiving full college scholarships.
A correction was made to this article on Aug. 19, 2014.