Elm Ave. Sidewalks

20- July-2014
   Earlier in the year  a grant from  Bergen County,  for community development was awarded to repair the sidewalks along Elm Ave. The area to be done was both sides of Elm Ave from W. Main Street south to River Rd.  The first part of this project was the removal of a number of trees that had started to grow into the old sidewalk damaging the concrete & slate slab.  These trees are scheduled to be replaced as part of the repair, but under a different grant. When the trees were cleared construction crews began removing the old and damage part of the sidewalks.  Sections that were recently replace, or found to be in satisfactory condition were not worked on. Any sidewalk that was made of slate were removed.  Through May, weather  permitting, the work moved along smoothly. The process progressed until the entire Eastern sidewalks on Elm Ave. to W.Main St.had been finished  so work began on the Western sidewalks on Elm Ave. However pace of the work had started to slow down. Some driveway aprons were not completed while others were. Driveway themselves that need to be cut in order to create a straight sidewalk were not filled in with asphalt leaving gaps in the driveway. Some of those driveway are still incomplete as of 19- July. Some lawn & shrubbery that also needed to be moved in the process has also been left unfixed, making it difficult for some homeowners to do necessary lawn work. There are still piles of trash, and mulch from the cut trees also on some of the easements between  the side walkway & the street.
  When the construction company was contacted, it was relayed that the all of the County's allocated grant money has been used.  As for the sidewalk themselves 1/4 of them have not been replaced. The western part of Elm Ave from McDougall Lane to W. Main St are still in their original condition.  They are maked to which section needed to be replaced and even one section that has been left empty since it had to be dug up for tree removal. When Borough Administrator August Greiner  was contracted, on 14-July, he knew of the problem and informed Bogota Blog that the contractor  was going to finish patching what was needed and to clear their equipment. As of 20-July driveways have not been filled, and debris & equipment is still left along Elm Ave, and at the intersection of Elm & Munn Sts.
  The sidewalks that have been completed are straight and smooth, and the apron to the street have been made in such a way that the flow of water from rain, and later snow melt should move away instead of pooling onto the sidewalks. But, with more scheduled work to be done on Elm Ave at River road traffic on Elm Ave may be increased. If homeowners can not move their vehicles into their own driveways this may cause an unsafe situation and limit access for Emergency Vehicles. Another concern will be when schools are open again in the Fall, a number of Student will need to walk on either side of Elm Ave. safely.
   It would be unfair for the Borough to have to finish this project, since it started with a grant of the Bergen County, but the Borough needs to help find a solution along with the contractor and Bergen County.

 Tree removal 

The old sidewalks broken-up

New sidewalks being poured 

 Gaps from the new sidewalks and existing driveways & walks

Debris left behind.

Finished sidewalks