Residents raise brightness and spacing concerns as council adopts $1.01 million Molar Boulevard streetscape bond

The Elmwood Park Mayor and Council adopted a bond ordinance on March 20 to appropriate $1,010,000 for streetscape improvements to Molar Boulevard Phase 2, covering the segment from Philip Avenue to Broadway.

During the meeting a resident, Gladys Kriskowitz, raised concerns about lighting specifications installed on part of the boulevard. She said the poles appeared too close together and the fixtures were "super bright," asking whether the borough could space them farther apart or change to a warmer white. Council and staff said continuity of lighting specifications is important, and that changes to the installed fixtures were unlikely because spacing and color were chosen to address previous complaints that sections of the boulevard, particularly near the railroad tracks, were too dark.

Officials said a further grant will fund an additional section of the boulevard toward Route 46 and that the recently adopted ordinance completes the section from Linden to Broadway. The council recorded the public comment in the meeting minutes and adopted the bond ordinance on final reading; staff said they would note the resident's concerns as the project proceeds.

Implementation notes: The bond ordinance authorizes issuance of bonds and bond anticipation notes to finance the streetscape work. The borough indicated at the meeting that project construction and lighting installation are part of the contract implementation and that any changes to fixtures would require review to maintain project continuity and grant compliance.