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Neighbors ask Old Tappan council to close streets for Halloween; some residents raise access concerns
Summary
Residents proposed temporarily closing Country Squire and nearby streets for a 2‑hour Halloween pedestrian zone; supporters called it a safety measure, but others — especially older residents and first‑responder families — urged caution and asked the council to seek the police chief's written recommendation.
Neighborhood organizers asked the Borough Council to permit temporary road closures or no‑parking rules on Country Squire and adjacent streets for about two hours on Halloween to reduce vehicle traffic and make trick‑or‑treating safer.
"We're looking to shut the roads to keep the deer out," one organizer joked, then clarified the goal was child safety and crowd control; Jen Griffin, who said she lives on Old Town Road, described heavy foot traffic and asked the borough to consider temporary closures with DPW support at barricades and alternative parking instructions for residents.
Several longtime residents opposed broad closures. Doreen Pfeiffer, who said she has lived on Windsor Place for 28 years, said closures would be unfair to seniors and could impede access for a pregnant daughter and first responders. "I am not anti‑Halloween," Pfeiffer said, "but shutting this neighborhood down is … wrong," and urged the council to preserve emergency access.
Council members said no final decision would be made at the meeting and asked the police chief for a written recommendation; staff and public‑safety liaisons will return to the Oct. 20 meeting with options that may include expanded temporary no‑parking zones, corridor designs, or officer/DPW placement at closures.
