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Residents urge closer oversight of development and criticize local traffic study
Summary
Residents asked the council to enforce stronger oversight of developers and said a traffic study used for Chestnut Ridge Road projects was inadequate; the council said studies and engineer reviews are part of the permitting process and promised continued monitoring.
During public comment Bert Taylor and other residents criticized the traffic study used for the Chestnut Ridge Road project as inadequate because it relied on limited weekend counts. Taylor, who said he has a master's in quantitative analysis, called the study "pathetic" and said he did not trust its projections for the next 20 years.
Another resident, Leslie Maltz, urged the borough to strengthen on-site monitoring and oversight of developer work, recounting a prior development where inspections failed and construction deviated from approvals. "I think we need to make sure that we have sufficient manpower, making sure that they are doing what they're supposed to... keep their feet to the fire," Maltz said.
Council members responded that development applications include comprehensive studies and require engineer review, county acceptance where appropriate, and inspections during construction. Planning staff said developers amended tree plans after premature removals and agreed to replace trees and increase berming to preserve screening.
