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Residents press Caldwell council on police headquarters timeline, invasive knotweed and stormwater plans
Summary
During public comment at the June 30 meeting, residents asked when a new police headquarters will be built, urged the borough to consider an ordinance addressing invasive Japanese knotweed, and raised property-impact concerns about a planned Provost Square stormwater project; administrators said plans remain preliminary.
Several residents used the June 30 public-comment period to press the council on timelines and local concerns.
Robert Sullivan asked when work on a new police headquarters would begin. Mayor Jones said work will start with the old library building first and then the public-safety building. Borough Administrator Alex Palumbo estimated construction of a new police headquarters "should be about a year and a 1/2 to 2 years" before completion.
Doug Piazza described ongoing problems with construction at a neighboring property and said Japanese knotweed has spread into his backyard. Piazza called it a "highly invasive species that is near impossible to get rid of" and asked the council to explore an ordinance to regulate invasive species. Mayor Jones asked the borough attorney to look into drafting an ordinance.
Property owner Joe Valente raised concerns about a planned stormwater management project for the Provost Square area, specifically worries about elevation changes and pipe sizing and how those design choices could affect his property. Administrator Palumbo replied the borough is in the stage of submitting plans to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and said "they will likely have comments and directives which will adjust the plans," indicating the design Valente had seen may change after DEP review.
The council did not take immediate formal action on these public comments during the public session; Mayor Jones directed the attorney to research an invasive-species ordinance and staff noted planning materials are subject to regulatory review and revision.
