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Council seeks conceptual downtown streetscape plan, explores burying overhead utilities
Summary
Council asked the borough engineer to produce a conceptual streetscape plan for downtown and to coordinate with Rock Electric on options to move overhead utilities underground. The proposal is multi-year and will be broken into conceptual design and later utility-conduit work.
Oakland’s mayor and borough engineer described a multi-stage downtown streetscape proposal aimed at improving sidewalks, lighting and the overall storefront appearance along the Ramapo Valley Road corridor.
The engineer (Speaker 9) recommended first developing a borough-wide conceptual plan showing curb lines, sidewalk design, street-tree locations, lighting placement and existing utility poles. He said the plan would identify where to focus short-term improvements and where to coordinate future undergrounding of utilities. Rock Electric is scheduled to meet with borough staff on May 12 to discuss practical options for putting overhead utilities underground or installing conduits to simplify future work. The engineer said the downtown effort would be multiyear, could pursue grants and other funding sources, and should be reviewed by DPW, Shade Tree and the town planner.
Council members framed the project as both aesthetic and a pedestrian-safety improvement, and asked for cost estimates and a conceptual plan to be available at the next meeting. No formal funding decision was made at this session; council introduced the capital and bond ordinances that include line items for downtown and road programs.
