Field Hockey Families, Leaf-Blower Advocates Pack Meeting as Property-Transfer Inspection Ordinance Passes
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Public comment ran long as several groups pressed the council on separate issues. Youth field hockey players and parents, including a young player named Kincaid, objected to Montclair Township's decision to restrict Glen Ridge's weekday access to the George Washington Field turf starting August 15, arguing field hockey is unsafe and impractical on grass; administrators said Montclair had been unresponsive to the borough's requests to negotiate continued access or field repairs, forcing practices onto the natural-grass Forest Avenue field. Separately, more than a dozen residents and the owner of an all-electric landscaping company urged the council to move forward with a gas-powered leaf-blower ban, citing noise, health and environmental concerns, while council members cautioned a formal ordinance was not guaranteed to be ready by the September 11 meeting. Other residents complained about overgrown hedges and trees blocking sidewalks and sightlines near intersections, citing safety concerns for children walking to school.
Council gave final adoption, after extended discussion, to Ordinance No. 1791, overhauling zoning-compliance certificate requirements triggered by any transfer of property or change in tenancy. Effective January 1, 2024, it adds new inspection items — water supply lines from the street must not be lead or galvanized steel, sidewalks must be level and free of safety hazards, and house numbers must be visible in at least four-inch lettering — on top of existing smoke/carbon-monoxide-alarm and permit-compliance checks. Inspection fees will be $250 per unit for one-, two- and three-family homes, $100 per unit for apartment buildings, $250 for non-residential properties, and $50 for re-inspections. Council members acknowledged there is currently no objective standard for judging a "misaligned" sidewalk and said clearer inspection guidance would be developed before the rule takes effect. Council also gave final adoption to Ordinance No. 1792, adopting the updated Uniform Construction Code by reference and moving pool location, lighting and maintenance rules into the zoning code.
Council additionally approved a professional-services agreement with Ragatalia Associates to provide interim tax and water collection services at $8,000 a month (not to exceed $24,000) following the retirement of the borough's longtime tax collector; certified the borough's clean 2022 municipal audit, with two minor corrective actions (more frequent animal-control fund reporting and expanded use of blanket purchase orders); appointed a new Class C member, Dina Deshawn, to the Historic Preservation Commission; authorized a CDBG grant application for ADA ramps; and gave first reading to two ordinances appropriating NJDOT municipal-aid grant funds for road paving. Administrator DeLine reported the state's Essex County Greenway project is moving forward, with the borough pressing for stormwater-management fixes and cleanup of railroad debris at an at-grade access point on Benson Street.
All recorded votes that evening carried with no recorded dissents; the borough's tax billing was reported delayed due to the tax collector's retirement.
What to watch
- Draft gas-powered leaf-blower ordinance, to be workshopped (not necessarily voted on) at the September 11 meeting
- Short-term rental (Airbnb) ordinance planned for introduction in September and final adoption in October
- Objective sidewalk-inspection standards to be developed before the new zoning-compliance ordinance takes effect January 1, 2024
- Continued Essex County Greenway community outreach sessions