Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council hears student safety complaint and holds public hearing on Oaks Park House Green Acres project
Summary
A high-school student urged the council to clear unshoveled sidewalks near Central Avenue to keep students off the road; councilmembers discussed enforcement and a possible volunteer committee. Separately, the council held a public hearing on the Green Acres-funded replacement of the Oaks Park House, with officials outlining design elements including ADA-compliant bathrooms and a target to complete work by fall 2025.
At the Jan. 21 Sine Die meeting, the Borough of Old Tappan received a public comment from a local student and conducted a public hearing on the Oaks Park House replacement project.
Student sidewalk safety: Matthew Marcelinelli identified himself for the record and said sidewalks near the high school (noting addresses in the 112–116 Central Ave area) had not been shoveled, forcing students to walk in the roadway. “There’s a few houses… that have not shoveled. So the students have to walk in the road to get to the high school,” he told the council. Members discussed steps: outreach to social services for elderly residents, forming a volunteer shovel committee, and pursuing an ordinance requiring residents to clear sidewalks (common in many Bergen County municipalities). Council encouraged the youth speaker’s involvement in the borough youth council.
Oaks Park House public hearing: Council opened a public hearing on plans to replace the Oaks Park House under a Green Acres-funded project. Ron explained the old residence was demolished, utilities are in place, architecture is underway, and the replacement will include two new ADA-compliant bathrooms and a front patio area for public use. He noted that because the property was purchased using state Green Acres funds (a New Jersey grant program), the borough must comply with Green Acres rules and complete several procedural steps before construction can proceed. He estimated the town could have a structure standing by late summer or fall 2025, subject to necessary approvals and public comment periods.
The hearing closed for this meeting with the council noting additional public input may be accepted at subsequent meetings and that architectural drawings are being finalized for public review.
What to expect: councilmembers said they are exploring both short-term responses to winter sidewalk safety (volunteer assistance and social-service outreach) and a longer-term municipal ordinance on sidewalk maintenance. For the Oaks Park House, the borough will continue design work, address Green Acres requirements, and return for further public hearings or administrative steps as required.
Speakers on these items included a resident student (Matthew Marcelinelli) and Ron, who summarized project details for Oaks Park House.
