Residents Press Council on High School Student Parking as Essex County Announces Grant for Five Intersection Upgrades
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Four Glen Ridge residents -- Jerry Malicar, Ryan Finkle, Kiesha Golding, and Sandra Lefkovits, all of Appleton Road -- used public comment at the April 24, 2023 council meeting to describe ongoing problems with high school students parking on Hillcrest, Woodland, and Summit Streets, saying it has hurt their neighborhood's character and sense of community. Council members responded that enforcement has already increased, with a number of tickets issued, and that the borough has opened up all of Ridgewood Avenue to student parking to relieve pressure on residential streets. Officials said they were taking a wait-and-see approach over the following weeks and plan a broader awareness campaign for incoming students over the summer.
Administrator Michael Zichelli told the council that Essex County has received grant funding for new pedestrian signals, high-visibility crosswalks, and accessible ramps at five intersections: Bloomfield and Hillside, Bloomfield and Ridgewood, Bloomfield and Highland, Ridgewood and Belleville, and Ridgewood and Bay. No formal design exists yet, and because the intersections fall within Glen Ridge's historic district, any design will eventually need to go before the Historic Preservation Commission before construction -- a process Zichelli estimated is two to three years out.
Police reported two new officers were sworn in, Ahmed and Sandival, and previewed several new safety programs: the "Take Me Home" registration program to help officers locate at-risk residents, a new "Blue Envelope" program giving drivers with autism spectrum disorder a way to flag that to police during a stop, and the deployment of Epipens in patrol vehicles. Police also announced a bike rodeo on June 3 at the Central School parking lot, where children can get bikes registered and inspected.
The council adopted a Green Building Policy resolution directing the borough to consider energy- and resource-efficient practices in municipal construction and renovation, alongside two Sustainable Jersey certification resolutions. Administrator Zichelli noted the borough has already retrofitted municipal building lighting to LED and upgraded heating at the public works yard, and is now working on replacing the chiller that serves the library. The council also introduced Ordinance 1783 on first reading, setting 2023-25 salary maximums for borough employees represented by CWA Local 1040, and proclaimed April 28, 2023 as Arbor Day, timed to a Shade Tree Commission planting of 50 trees along Hillside Avenue.
The vote to approve the April 10, 2023 meeting minutes was not unanimous: Councilor Morrow abstained, while the other four members present voted aye.
What to watch
- Essex County's still-undesigned pedestrian-safety upgrades at five intersections, which will require Historic Preservation Commission review
- A summer awareness campaign aimed at incoming students about parking near the high school
- Ordinance 1783 (CWA employee salary titles), introduced on first reading, due back for a final vote
Watch key moments
- 16:10 — Blue Envelope program