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Residents divided as council hears revised Old Mill Road traffic-calming plan
Summary
At a council meeting, residents and a traffic consultant debated speed tables for Old Mill Road; supporters called the measure lifesaving, opponents raised concerns about noise, pavement damage and property values, and some urged stepped-up enforcement instead.
The Spring Lake Heights Borough Council on April 20 heard a revised traffic-calming plan for Old Mill Road and fielded several public comments for and against speed tables.
Councilwoman Michele Degnan-Spang thanked the project consultant, and the consultant Mr. Sabins said temporary speed tables could be installed but would likely increase vehicle noise and could harm pavement. Councilman Dayton Lonsdale said he had visited roads with similar speed tables and presented a revised plan that incorporated resident feedback; he also expressed support for stronger enforcement.
During the public-comment period, several residents described opposing views. Don Eilenberger (1213 Pond Road) urged speed tables, saying striping would be ineffective and traffic signals would be prohibitively expensive. Maria Naughton (1907 Old Mill Road) said she was dissatisfied with resident notice and timeline, warned that additional striping/signage and speed tables could reduce home values, and urged ticketing and enforcement instead; she also raised a question about a 1968 tonnage ordinance she said was never approved by the New Jersey Department of Transportation. Mike Rubino (543 Old Mill Road) described safety risks that prevent him from safely retrieving mail and noted the lack of sidewalks; Jason Strap (2104 Old Mill Road) said the plan was reasonable and necessary. Gina Torry Robertson, founder of Citizens for Road Safety, recounted her sister's death as a pedestrian and urged the council to prioritize intersection safety and speed control, invoking her group's tagline, "safe to live free."
Council members thanked speakers and closed the public-comment period; no formal council action on the Old Mill Road plan was recorded that evening. Council discussion referenced enforcement as a complementary measure and noted the trade-offs consultants identified between temporary installations and impacts such as noise and pavement wear. The council did not set a follow-up vote date in the meeting record.
