Planning Board votes yes, 6-3, on Gregory improvements

WEST ORANGE, NJ — The West Orange Planning Board approved the final plan for the proposed bus driveway and expanded parking lot at Gregory Elementary School during a courtesy review at the board’s June 1 meeting.

The board voted 6-3 to pass the plan, with members Jerry Eben, Gerald Gurland and Gary Wegner deciding against it. The board also made several recommendations for engineer J. Michael Petry to consider. These included changing the signage on Lowell Avenue to eliminate the three-minute parking there in favor of the planned fast-moving “kiss and go” lane, incorporating an eight-year-old dwarf cherry tree donated by the Class of 2010 into the landscaping and increasing the buffer by a few feet on the northwest side.

But the vote was only a courtesy, with board Chairman Ron Weston pointing out that the project is eligible to proceed whether or not the Planning Board acts on its 45-day window to offer recommendations. But it nonetheless represented the board’s stamp of approval for the plan, which calls for the construction of a bus loop in front of the school facing Gregory Avenue and a widening of the faculty parking lot to incorporate 71 parking spaces. The current lot contains 53 designated spots, though many additional staff park in the lot.

By making those changes, Petry testified that Lowell Avenue will be free to host a kiss-and-go lane for parents to drop off children quickly. According to Petry, his plan expands the existing drainage system to include trenches and additional inlets so that flooding will not be a problem. And he said flowering dogwoods and boxwoods will be added to the area to make up for the removal of the trees.

Advocates have long maintained that this plan makes the Gregory school much safer for students, and many made that opinion clear throughout the meeting. Several residents said during the public comment session that having both parent and bus dropoffs on Lowell is a dangerous situation that puts children at risk. Removing the buses from that road will not only eliminate that hazard, they said, but also get rid of the traffic backup that occurs with so many vehicles clogging the roadway.

“This is an excellent way to make the best of a bad situation,” resident Michael Rintzler said.

But many residents feel differently, voicing a strong opposition to the plan at the recent board meeting and at the Gregory community meeting last month. Specifically, they argued that the buses entering and exiting the driveway on Gregory Avenue will cause greater backup among cars waiting for the Walker and Gregory intersection traffic light. They also questioned how effective a kiss-and-go lane will be when parents already ignore the three-minute parking rule and take up space on Lowell for excessive amounts of time.

And since the council voted to issue $357,140 in bonds for the project, some critics stressed that getting a police officer to enforce traffic laws on Lowell Avenue would be a more cost-effective way of resolving the traffic issues.

“I don’t believe that this situation is going to improve — I think it’s going to get worse,” resident Heidi Sawyer said. “This is not the correct solution.”

Several residents also called for an official traffic study to be conducted — in addition to the observations made by traffic engineer Harold Maltz — but the board majority disagreed that this was necessary. Though Weston suggested a study would put residents’ concern to rest, board member Tekeste Gebremichael said no new traffic is being added to the area, so commissioning a study would be a waste of money.

In the end, even the Planning Board could not agree on the merits of the plan. Board member Lee Klein, who works as a traffic engineer, pointed out that Petry’s design creates a “better situation” regarding the buses since it means they will only have to travel down Gregory Avenue once. Currently, they go down the street twice — once to turn onto Walker Road and once going back.

Susan McCartney, a member of both the Planning Board and Township Council, said she believes Petry’s plan will be a beneficial solution to traffic issues that have plagued the Gregory school area for years.

“I see it as a better flow of traffic,” McCartney said. “It’s much more safe.”

Eben, who asked Petry pages of technical questions about the design before casting his vote, said he could not support the plan because he believes someone is going to get hurt as a result of it. He also said that he is sure that the project will cost more than what the council bonded for, due to change orders. Overall, Eben said the township and Board of Education should realize there are better solutions than what they proposed.

Gurland also pulled no punches in expressing his dislike of the plan. He called the design “horrendous” for reasons including the destruction of trees and the potential headaches of getting out of the parking lot.

“All in all, I think this project is a disaster,” Gurland said.

The Gregory plan is still awaiting approval from the Essex County Planning Board. Meanwhile, the township is reviewing bids for the project; the project had been advertised May 17 and bids were due Tuesday, June 7.

  Gregory Elementary School, Pedestrian Safety, West Orange Planning Board, West Orange Township Council