[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6049598,"mediaKeyId","3510109-6cbf0755dfe5514bcceef09d7e6e25be","parentId",3510109,"title","Council approves liquor licenses, redevelopment designation, transit planning grant and consent items","audioSeconds",103,"startMs",1264789,"endMs",1368505,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3510109-6cbf0755dfe5514bcceef09d7e6e25be&start=1264&end=1368","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3510109-6cbf0755dfe5514bcceef09d7e6e25be/thumbnail_1264789.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6049598/Rutherford/Bergen-County/New-Jersey/Council-approves-liquor-licenses-redevelopment-designation-transit-planning-grant-and-consent-items","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6049598-56b75ce4f20105c7f419c4916fe6fd49/orig.mp4?Expires=1771175503&Signature=JsDaWDbxYRO~G8BChrzl-Ci4nBJvly~6J0Xm-tROooFJ65uZ~-5p8OghX8ATch09rsdtMzJzN2o5VciHaq6YQVzDMp2JGDFKYVmf2NDr5Qw~s0IYKA9KsP5Y1FB3zbiK1y9K63Cil25hTU1RvTlemWZF5bik03VsnzPYyPbuJzEMjmvlvsobL6rRYnOgKUQbCLhXujpXPd~30Cp0GxcLeGlkVG9MG8LjcTw4WVKVbbBmqzFLCYBLEi-ZInnOePcDKCAHVokq3BxJwsCAHe08OwlIDaMqR7OwYOO9MCvlof3MZpqjS6NobtMURHLdvPfuFkcJNAA51fGnhe2D0B0KJA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","RutherfordNJ","date","2025-02-10T00:00:00Z","article","The Rutherford Borough Council adopted a series of resolutions by roll call during the meeting.

Resolution 65 authorized procedures and conditions regarding the public sale of one new plenary retail consumption liquor license. The motion was made by Council President McGowan, seconded, and passed with a roll call vote in which Council President McGowan, Councilman Delraycone, Councilman Cottrell, Councilman Quattrone, Councilman Erico and Councilman Guzman voted yes.

Resolution 66 granted a new plenary retail consumption liquor license and approved the siting of that license to Penobianco Crafted by COS LLC. The motion by Council President McGowan was seconded by Councilman Quattrone and passed by roll call with the same affirmative votes recorded.

Resolution 67 designated certain property identified as the KIPP Avenue property as an area in need of redevelopment. The motion was moved by the council president and seconded by Councilman Guzman; the resolution passed by roll call vote.

Resolution 68 authorized the borough to support an application for a New Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA) Transit Hub Planning Grant to fund a strategic plan study for Union Avenue, which the borough described as a corridor tied to the transit‑village area around the train station; the council approved the motion after the borough administrator explained the study would be used to pursue future grants for corridor improvements.

The consent agenda, moved and seconded by the council president and adopted by roll call, included routine items and an authorization to call the civil service certified reemployment list for a police officer; the council also removed Resolution 75 from the agenda under changes announced earlier in the meeting.

All recorded roll calls announced “yes” votes by the members present and the minutes reflect that each listed resolution passed as moved.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Mayor/Council Meeting - February 10, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Rutherford Borough Council approved several resolutions by roll call, including two liquor‑license actions, a redevelopment designation for KIPP Avenue, and support for a NJTPA transit planning grant for Union Avenue.","taxTitle","Rutherford, Bergen County, New Jersey","taxId",70404,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6049603,"Residents urge reversal of borough display ban after crescent lighting blocked",333,667270,1000405,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3510109-6cbf0755dfe5514bcceef09d7e6e25be&start=667&end=1000","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3510109-6cbf0755dfe5514bcceef09d7e6e25be/thumbnail_667270.jpg","/articles/6049603/Rutherford/Bergen-County/New-Jersey/Residents-urge-reversal-of-borough-display-ban-after-crescent-lighting-blocked","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6049603-2434e59ae96dea49aac5c0e897a96ed0/orig.mp4?Expires=1771175503&Signature=VUPAcGt7aJoftWhgmm3Sg3vc8aKChvk0mP92SAlivK3hKSs9Z0iPqKAABqKzMnk1mJGw0uK5Kwd~QRGfkfwHGdvAFQ3TB3qN9TOjzN6IjuCDeWrxczlMqHa-AKl4r-nuCZI8Ih9O-N3wFTxe86jeQYP6xRvpTl~oaZt7RAloL9I65z54rjI1Rz4l0FSWdYsWAXPsUIJSNOqQvPyo2aqyUJ4LDmK2QsWscoB~7Jm5PqeRZxzJEfe5DxIKT18B~Wnxb9~Gh-xiWHROv-f5k24OC4NkinslCBnA~znLpQ0xPVBVEpCqlURpYZ02EA9lmN4Hs-oF5OyJcP36USMbsUtdXQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Three residents — Mustafa Kamal, Zahab Khan and Awad Hilal — spoke during the hearing of citizens to ask the council to allow the crescent lighting event in Rutherford or to sponsor the display.

Mustafa Kamal, who said he lives on Jackson Avenue, described the lighting as both a religious and cultural occasion and said it brings visitors and economic activity: “For the past thousand 400 years, we've been celebrating Ramadan as a cultural event ... it brings a lot of business to Rutherford itself,” he told the council.

Zahab Khan, a Rutherford High School student who said his brother Usman secured approval for a crescent lighting last year, said a new policy effective January 1 prohibiting third‑party displays on public property “has rendered the crescent lighting unable to move forward” and asked the council for sponsorship so the tradition could continue.

Awad Hilal, who also lives on Jackson Avenue, said he found last year’s lighting “a special moment” that showed Rutherford was welcoming. “We accept everyone,” he said, and asked the council to reconsider the ban.

Borough Administrator Bob said the borough adopted a policy earlier this year to stop permitting third‑party displays on public property. He said the decision was not a reaction to the displays themselves but a response to management challenges and a small number of people with “ill intentions” attempting to exploit the borough’s generosity. He explained legal limits on selectively permitting displays and said the borough must apply the policy uniformly.

“I take the hard line and the position, that at this time it's probably not in our best interest to, move forward with these displays,” Bob said, and encouraged organizers to continue events at places of worship and private venues.

A councilwoman who said she has been in close contact with Usman and with the borough’s EAD committee acknowledged the personal and community value of the event and said she attended the lighting last year. She explained the council’s position is driven by consistent application of the new policy and by park usage volume, and said she did not expect the policy to change soon. She invited the organizers to share details of where they will hold a private or off‑site celebration so council members can attend.

No change to the borough policy was proposed or voted on at the meeting; council members and staff encouraged organizers to continue the tradition in private or institutional venues while the borough applies its new display policy.

","Several residents asked the council to reconsider a borough policy adopted January 1 that prohibits third‑party displays on public property after the annual crescent (Ramadan) lighting was denied sponsorship; the borough administrator said the policy was adopted to manage park use and legal exposure.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6049606,"Council hears timeline, costs for Jackson and Erie signal; 4‑way stop raised as interim option",327,249155,576365,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3510109-6cbf0755dfe5514bcceef09d7e6e25be&start=249&end=576","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3510109-6cbf0755dfe5514bcceef09d7e6e25be/thumbnail_249155.jpg","/articles/6049606/Rutherford/Bergen-County/New-Jersey/Council-hears-timeline-costs-for-Jackson-and-Erie-signal-4way-stop-raised-as-interim-option","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6049606-4b0c4aefb00313ba6d1eae26da9358fc/orig.mp4?Expires=1771175503&Signature=OGgxPSTcnOYXsgnwJ-hxHgTgWp~rzSqTuPPjfD0wJCkabEE-FgTVhiKSI7z0xqLc~zBjiEPT3-ojYQqMmUz~ZEyREcoNj33kDy8DHrz-Uzzpd9vB0OQlBe589uNg6Ms7Iw7wtpoiGAyhmrhf7KqF1LVooh1wiOg3YcMxObIYjUpQARhX-6PqGHASF-3WfaCMfWIxnVzTX1B7uy~WxZDO0XD8x0W9aNi8X8QxOkfuU44VMd0Fz0WQUuQ7Qt2YeCag~pMkbVgSMXKJ2LdFH6iWiIinWqn6Fi-Vnq2eLzpD1JbDL81EC4C6Opc~m5u0LBrs-le~2nj-cG4x2s6rJQPSTQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Brian, the borough engineer, told the Rutherford Borough Council that a county traffic study and crash records show the intersection of Jackson Avenue and Erie Avenue has a recurring safety problem and that a traffic signal is technically justified.

“On January 27, the 23 record of, crashes was uploaded to the state police's, safety voyager. And with 23 up, it showed about 14 accidents at Jackson and Erie,” Brian said, and later added that “there were 53 accidents there in the last 3 years,” figures he said support a signal from a traffic‑engineering perspective.

That technical justification does not mean the signal will be built quickly. Brian said the county advances two to three signal projects a year and that the borough is in the county queue; he told the council he still sees the project “a minimum of 18 months out.”

Borough Administrator Bob, who said he and the police chief had met with county engineering, offered a similar expectation. “In reading between the lines, I would say at the earliest they're going to be working on our project is 2026,” Bob said, describing competing county priorities and the time required for procurement, bid, award and construction.

Council members asked about interim steps and whether the borough could pay to speed construction. Brian said a four‑way stop is an accepted interim measure under the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices when a signal is justified, and that the borough could request the county to implement it. He cautioned that a full signal installed to county standards would be substantially more expensive.

Brian estimated the traffic signal cost “in the $750,000 range” and said design is complicated by required grade changes tied to a planned linear county park; he warned that building without final elevation data could produce costly errors. He also said that if the borough paid to build a county‑standard signal, it might not be reimbursed.

Council members and staff emphasized options: pressing the county to move the project up the queue, proposing a four‑way stop as an interim safety measure, or financing a signal locally — each with tradeoffs on cost, timing and coordination with county park plans.

The council did not take formal action on the intersection tonight; discussion closed with direction to continue coordination with county engineering and the police department.

","Borough engineer and administrator told the Rutherford Borough Council that a traffic signal at Jackson and Erie meets safety thresholds but likely remains at least 18 months away under the county queue; a four‑way stop and local funding were discussed as interim or accelerating options.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6049593,"Engineer reports progress on Memorial Field, playgrounds, gazebo and road programs",75,65220,140275,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3510109-6cbf0755dfe5514bcceef09d7e6e25be&start=65&end=140","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3510109-6cbf0755dfe5514bcceef09d7e6e25be/thumbnail_65220.jpg","/articles/6049593/Rutherford/Bergen-County/New-Jersey/Engineer-reports-progress-on-Memorial-Field-playgrounds-gazebo-and-road-programs","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6049593-3883f2e0f550022905903061b19eb18d/orig.mp4?Expires=1771175503&Signature=W62o2w86NMkJl~sJ8Qzu3ws1FuiOL840ssUOnpIS2-0xo1H6WPI3vKTc8l0TyLhT-1uk8ktCVjPAevRt07cta8crx-4WvnqXlZgUrWzXqOudZIlGexx4fQuK8rorYNNf3HENrskaxHazZqRqKkgmLmXjYJXWhnwVbhKrrhyDIAHHU31inVdqVt9v2MezhVZsMHPU9b84rzGmHG7Vey4lef3vxUt5zIetdxU79dXYvR61uwvwOxpfYcbMzSHu2XbWsyfDvzRB98d6pfbxfBYXwiMFGhKflfysyeOS7dzYlneHXyB52hJ2NSk35eqDhH7gBbtWNl6rryRlgLIftVcQSw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Brian, the borough engineer, gave the council an update on current public‑works and park projects.

He said the borough awarded the Memorial Field contract and held a pre‑construction meeting on the lights and electrical work; the steel for the press box is expected to arrive in about three weeks, and the press box should be installed in roughly three and a half weeks once paneling and color decisions are finalized.

“...the press box and the steel for the press box is going to be coming in 3 weeks. So that should be up in about 3 and a half weeks,” Brian said, noting pending color choices with the borough administrator.

Brian also reported that the borough was able to accept and secure a match for a grant to replace playground equipment at Walls Field and therefore was able to award that contract at a previous meeting. He said the Lincoln Park gazebo has co‑op pricing available, and staff are investigating whether existing concrete slabs can be reused; the plan would replace a wooden structure with a steel gazebo in the same footprint if feasible.

He said the KIPP Avenue redevelopment plan is moving forward and that a related resolution was on the meeting agenda. Brian said a Green Acres application at Tamlin had been submitted and that other park work — including the Jakes Law application and playground projects — is progressing under cooperative pricing and grant matches.

On streets, Brian said the 2024 road program is restarting and the 2025 program is expected to be bid in May.

No votes were taken on these project updates; council members asked clarifying questions about schedule and funding and staff noted next steps for design, procurement and coordination with cooperative purchasing sources.

","The borough engineer updated the council on multiple capital and park projects: Memorial Field lighting and press box, Walls Field playground award and funding match, Lincoln Park gazebo pricing and structural options, Green Acres and KIPP Avenue redevelopment applications, and plans to bid the 2025 road program in May.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Council approves liquor licenses, redevelopment designation, transit planning grant and consent items

Residents urge reversal of borough display ban after crescent lighting blocked

Council hears timeline, costs for Jackson and Erie signal; 4‑way stop raised as interim option

Engineer reports progress on Memorial Field, playgrounds, gazebo and road programs