the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood Water (RW) has contracted Shauger Property Services Inc. to complete a water main replacement along the commonly known PSE&G Utility Right of Way (PSEG ROW) in Ridgewood from and including Dunham Trail (at Spring Avenue), along the edge of Brookside Field, to just north of East Ridgewood Avenue. The existing 12” diameter transmission main is critical aging infrastructure to the water utility and will be upsized to a 20” diameter water main. The work also includes installation of a 10” diameter raw water main as part of RW’s PFAS treatment centralization project.
The planned construction will begin on February 5th with an anticipated completion of the overall work by by April 15th with final restorations by mid-summer or sooner. See below the Notice that was distributed to residents in the immediate area, which includes a map of the approximate limits of the planned work.
As part of the planned construction, the PSEG ROW and an area to the side of Brookside Field will be used as a staging area for storage of materials and equipment. No impact will be made to the playing field and all materials are planned to be removed from the Brookside Field property by the start of athletic activities on or about March 10th.
Construction work is planned to begin on Dunham Trail (just south of Spring Avenue) on February 5th which will require this area of the Trail to be closed for about 1 week. Excavation will progress across Spring Avenue immediately after the work on Dunham Trail is complete. This will cause traffic delays and potential detours along Spring Avenue.
Pre-construction condition photos will be taken and features will be restored to its pre-existing condition or better, to the extent possible and allowed by code. Dunham Trail is fairly open and no trees are planned to be removed here. In the areas of the PSEG ROW, where there are obstacles of working around PSEG infrastructure, there may need to be tree removal to accommodate the new water main installation. If so, RW plans to work with the Village to determine locations where additional trees can be planted to account for any that were removed for this project.
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FUN FACT: we won’t have to see councilwoman Winograd make a video selfie along that trail for the duration.
In response to a taxpayer’s posted Facebook comment that a safety related sign mounted on a wooden post at the Spring Avenue entrance to the Dunham Trail detracted from the trailhead’s appearance, Village Councilmember Siobhan Winograd subsequently reported on her official Facebook page that the sign had been “removed.” The Councilperson did not indicate in her post whether the sign would be replaced; she reported only that it had been “removed.”
Thankfully, the sign (OFFICIAL VEHICLES ONLY BEYOND THIS POINT) has since been replaced at the trailhead, albeit on a different post. The sign had initially been placed shortly after a September 4, 2022 occurrence in which a privately owned vehicle entered the trail at Spring Avenue and drove approximately 300 feet south before stopping. Fortunately, no one was injured in that mishap. A Ridgewood Police Department officer responded to the incident, but issued no summons(es) to the driver involved.
https://theridgewoodblog.net/hiker-mistakenly-parks-on-dunham-trail-in-ridgewood/
The underlying tone of Councilperson Winograd’s response to the “awful sign” related post on her official Facebook page leaves me with the distinct impression that Ms. Winograd herself ordered the sign removed from the wooden post. If this was the case, who did she give the order to and who carried it out?
The Faulkner Act expressly prohibits elected officials from giving orders to anyone except the Village Manager or Village Clerk. Was the Village Manager involved in the removal process as would be required under the Faulkner Act? And how long was it before someone became aware that the sign actually served a critical purpose and ordered a new sign to be installed? And, was that someone the Village Manager?
This incident may seem trivial to many. And, to a certain extent I agree that in the scheme of things, this is small potatoes. However small potatoes as it might be, the incident plainly illustrates the reason why Ridgewood’s elected officials should think first, and then adhere to the established chain of command instead of impulsively reacting to requests/suggestions made by a taxpayer of a group of taxpayers.
There was a reason that sign was installed at the Dunham Trail entrance. It should not have been “removed” before another sign was installed at relatively the same location.
I firmly believes that safety trumps appearance and charm. Perhaps Ms. Winograd thinks differently though.
So once in a few decades some dolt decides to drive onto Dunham Trail and the Village responds by slapping a metal sign onto a trail sign. Metal sign is completely unnecessary but, as a regular user of the trail, I can tell you it was it mounted in it’s own pole, nearer to entrance and hence a better location, almost as soon as it was removed from the trail sign pole. I am no fan of Ms. Winograds but I doubt she “ordered” the sign moved…she probably asked if it could be moved and moved closer to the entrance. (I mean, if your looking at a sign that says “trail” do you then drive your car down the trail). The metal sign, on its own pole nearer the entrance, is much safer than mounted to a trail sign off to the side a few feet down the path in the shadows of the trees. Much better marked after Ms. Winograds intervention.
As an aside to the safety issue, I appreciated when the trail signs were installed…It was a real aesthetic improvement and the metal sign detracted from the aesthetic.
Is there anyone who is a fan of Siobhan’s?
Siobhan is her own best fan
Signs warning of the closure should be placed at both ends of the trail, and on Arden Court and Hawthorne Place.
Didn’t they just plan trees north of spring there?
Do you think the Dpw can sweep the roads? They are filthy, went for a ride today through town. Most the roads are dirty. We have extremely warm weather for February this whole week coming. There’s no reason why this sweepers aren’t out. Look under the trestle full of leaves, come on, no excuse
I know really get out there and sweep the roads. No excuse one weather fill the potholes too and what that happened to all the curbs on the west side in the CBD by McMurphy they are destroyed. Who the hell is running the snow equipment up there. What a shit job, again, someone’s has poor performance. Who’s over seeing these workers, just amazing poor leadership.👎🏽
What happened to water boy. He’s not a Forman anymore.
Huh’