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Old Tappan to limit parking and impose short "soft" road closures around Country Squire for Halloween
Summary
After extended public comment focused on child safety, the Borough of Old Tappan council approved a limited Halloween traffic plan: no-parking signs in the Country Squire/Birchwood area starting in the midafternoon and a soft road closure allowing resident access from about 3:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.
The Borough of Old Tappan mayor and council on Oct. 28 approved a Halloween traffic plan for the Country Squire and adjacent streets intended to reduce hazards for trick-or-treating children. The council agreed to post no-parking signs in the affected area beginning in the midafternoon (signs to take effect around 2:00 p.m.) and to institute a "soft" road closure that would restrict through traffic but allow residents to enter or exit between about 3:30 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.
Council members said safety concerns and repeated public reports of children darting between parked cars motivated the change. "I am supportive of option number 1," Councilwoman Donna Costello said during the meeting, urging a limited, managed closure for a short window. Resident Troy Parvin, who said he lives on Country Squire, told the council: "It really does come down to a safety issue. Eliminating parking on certain sides of the road is not going to stop children from walking down the center," but he argued that removing parked cars and using police to manage access would reduce the most serious risks.
Multiple residents urged practical steps rather than a permanent ordinance. "Restricting parking would be the ideal solution," Doreen Pfeiffer said, describing long experience with heavy crowds on Windsor Place and the loop streets. Speakers and council members discussed timing—school dismissal and when neighborhoods typically become crowded—and agreed on the midafternoon posting of signs to discourage early parking.
The approved motion, moved by a council member and seconded on the floor, directs the police department to implement a soft closure of Country Squire (including associated loops to Birchwood and Old Crown) as drafted by the department and OEM. The plan keeps lanes open to allow resident access, uses movable barricades for emergency access, and asks police to exercise discretion about covering slightly larger or adjacent blocks if needed. The council asked borough staff to publicize the plan to residents and stressed advance notice so homeowners know they will be able to get in and out during the posted hours.
The measure is procedural rather than a new ordinance; council members said the change will be evaluated after this Halloween and adjusted next year if necessary. Police and municipal staff will finalize signage times and placement and issue a public notice in the days before the event.
