ENGINEERING DIVISION MONTHLY REPORT
MARCH 2024
 

Charles Carbone, P.E., Supervising Engineering Aide

 

BEARFORT ROAD

A drainage concern was investigated at Bearfort Road and a previously vacated portion of Valley View Lane.  Township drainage infrastructure extends within a drainage easement and a blocked stormwater outfall is causing drainage concerns.  Potential solutions were discussed with DPW staff and a work order was created.

BRADRICK LANE DRAINAGE EASEMENT

The impacted area of the Bradrick Lane drainage easement was further evaluated based on known stormwater infrastructure in the area and site conditions were recorded.  A meeting was held with municipal officials and the consultant Township Engineering firm regarding the prior report and requested maintenance items.  A summary report, identifying known and discovered aspects of the project, is anticipated to be prepared and provided to the Township Administrator.

BUBBLING SPRINGS PARK

A site inspection was performed for a potential park improvement and to evaluate site constraints for the potential improvement.  The area will be shown on the conceptual plan when revised for the more recent update of the park site.

bus sTOP – MARSHALL HILL ROAD

The Passaic County Traffic Engineer provided input regarding the request for a potential bus stop on Marshall Hill Road near Lincoln Avenue.  The County indicated the bus stop would not be supported citing road design concerns though alternative methods could be considered and evaluated in the future.

bus shelter – UNION VALLEY ROAD

As part of the ongoing work to replace the bus shelter at Union Valley Road near Marshall Hill Road intersection, a request to the private property owner to review the original easement documentation and updated information regarding the scope of work was made.  The Township is awaiting response from the private property owner regarding the potential proposed easement.  Once response is received the final steps for moving forward with the replacement shelter project can be completed prior to in-house preparatory construction work.

LOT DEVELOPMENT PLAN REVIEW

Four (4) initial, single-family, residential lot development plans were reviewed for compliance with Section 110-4 of the Township Code and any applicable Board resolutions.  Two (2) as-built / final plans were reviewed, inspected and processed as needed.  All lot development plan review results are entered into the “Spatial Data Logic” system.  The results are also posted for public consumption within the Engineering Division section of the Township’s website (www.westmilford.org) under the Site Plan Tracker.

MOORE ROAD

A long-standing concern is under review by a resident and municipality. The area of concern is on private property which has an access easement across it. The resident inquired previously about Township specifications for the paving of Township roads, then about private roads and driveways. A contractor for the resident contacted the Engineering Division to discuss options. An on-site meeting was held with the contractor to discuss various potential improvement methods and direction forward.

RYAN COURT

A drainage concern was investigated at Ryan Court as a result of an icing concern.  Due to the recent volume of precipitation, the groundwater table is causing water to seep to the surface and flow across private property and onto the roadway.  As a precaution and due to the proximity of an underground water main, the utility company was contacted to evaluate their infrastructure.  Once the water test results are received the concern can be evaluated further if potential drainage improvements can be considered.

STORMWATER COMPLIANCE

The results of the preliminary NJDEP site inspection compliance report were received and reviewed with Township staff and the consultant stormwater professional.  Areas of improvement were identified and inquiries made to identify methods to maintain compliance.  As part of the enhanced regulations, the Township is required to update the tree removal chapter of the Town Code.  Recommended amendments, to satisfy the requirements of the NJDEP, were provided to the Township Administrator for Governing Body consideration at the April 3rd meeting.

TOWNSHIP ANNEX PROJECT / RIDGE ROAD BUILDING

Correspondence, meetings and project specific items were discussed with Township officials, the contractor and the design architect and summarized to reiterate the movement of the project.  The Contractor was requested to provide a proposal for various outstanding items for review.  Other project items were discussed with municipal officials and the design architect as needed.  Field work was performed to identify potential waterproofing improvements and to locate underground utilities within close proximity of potential improvements.  Quotes were sought for the installation of a security camera system at the property.  Purchasing of the security camera system is anticipated to be processed in April.  The renovation project intends to convert the former Library building to municipal office space.

MISCELLANEOUS

  • Technical assistance, regarding lot development plans, storm drainage issues, active construction projects, flood zones, right-of-way issues, etc. were provided to concerned residents on 45 occasions.  Field inspections, photographs, reports and/or follow up were required for 7 of these issues.
  • Technical assistance was provided, for various issues, to other departments on 42 occasions.
  • File research, map copies and/or information was provided to professionals on 12 occasions.
  • Assistance was provided to builders, contractors and utilities on 3 occasions.
  • 6 OPRA requests were responded to.
  • NJDEP was contacted and discussions held regarding potential athletic field lighting of an existing municipal athletic field
  • A meeting was attended to discuss an outdoor public event and proposed changes moving forward
  • A meeting was attended to discuss requested maintenance of the Wallisch Estates property.
  • The Zoning Board Secretary and Zoning Officer were re-consulted regarding approvals and use of a property.  The matter is still being reviewed as there are conflicting past approvals.
  • Potential grant opportunities were discussed with Township officials on two occasions.  A grant webinar was attended, though based on the requirements the Township does not appear to qualify for submission at this time.
  • Rain inspections were performed during heavy rain events at various locations to record and identify potential improvements, if any.
  • NJDEP officials were contacted regarding a potential fill / regrading activity.
  • The Passaic County Engineer was contacted regarding a washout of a County-owned culvert within a Township right-of-way.  The matter is being evaluated for potential action.
  • Follow-up to a line striping request was made to the State for the Echo Lake Road and Route 23 intersection2 potential soil moving concerns were evaluated.
  • 2 Board of Adjustment applications were reviewed.
  • 3 weekly reports for Administration were prepared.
  • Engineering Division observation reports, travel logs and other supplemental reporting information was provided to Administration, as required.
  • A Joint Environmental Remediation Committee meeting was attended.
  • An inquiry was made to the Consulting Township Engineer regarding the status of the Town Hall / Annex septic system approval.
  • Engineering staff began Paving Inspector Certification courses.
  • A webinar “Safe streets and roads for all (SS4A) was attended by Engineering staff.
  • A webinar “SS4A supplemental planning and demonstration activities” was attended by Engineering staff.
  • A webinar “Understanding stormwater design under the new NJDEP regulations” was attended by Engineering staff.
  • A safety committee meeting was attended.
  • 2 outdoor permits were reviewed.
  • A request from the tax department to research deeds and a filed map for 2 properties was looked into.

 

CAPITAL PROJECTS

 

GERMANTOWN ROAD – SECTION 1

The resurfacing of Germantown Road, between Macopin Road and 0.8-miles south, was completed by October 27th with minor punchlist items completed into December. The NJDOT Local Aid Office was followed up regarding the close out of the project.  Project close out items were prepared in anticipation of project update in the NJDOT Project Management and Reporting System (PMRS) for electronic management of NJDOT grants.  The final close out documents will be completed within the six-month close out period, which began in January.  This resurfacing project is partially funded by a $332,000 State Aid roadway grant.

MAPLE ROAD

The walk-through inspection was completed on Maple Road as part of the design process for this NJDOT FY2022 Municipal Aid grant resurfacing project.  Existing conditions were documented and potential future work was recorded for design of the project.  Field work was performed to identify the location of potential underground utility conflicts for stormwater drainage design.  Passaic County was contacted regarding the project for potential repair work of a County-owned culvert.  The County advised that work would be scheduled in the future.  This resurfacing project is partially funded by a $477,040 State Aid roadway grant.

ROAD ASSESSMENT PROGRAM – HANOVER, ALPINE, ET AL

The Governing Body previously approved, by resolution, a contract award for the final design and contract document completion to the consulting Township Engineer for the Hanover, Alpine, Princeton, Lyons and Beverly Road Improvement Project as per their provided proposal in January 2024.  Preliminary electronic AutoCAD files were provided from the design engineer and reviewed by Engineering Division staff.  Comments, concerns and road design matters were provided to the design engineer to continue with the design of the road improvement project.  The proposed project intends to improve, through special assessment charged to the potentially benefiting property owners, Hanover Road, Alpine Court, Princeton Road (portion), Lyons Road (portion), and Beverly Court.  These dirt/gravel roads were accepted by ordinance in the summer of 2019.  A special assessment ordinance was approved by the Governing Body in April 2022 at a Town Council meeting to award the funding for this project.  Field work was completed through the winter of 2022-2023 and design began as time permitted in 2023.  A preliminary/conceptual design, as originally proposed during its initial evaluation, was provided to the consulting Township Engineer in September of 2023 for review.  The review yielded potential environmental concerns and as a result was discussed and further reviewed through November of 2023.

STOWAWAY ROAD BRIDGE – SUPERSTRUCTURE REPLACEMENT

As part of the ongoing project to assist the Stowaway Park association by way of an assessment project, the third phase of the project (superstructure replacement) was discussed with the Contractor, public safety, Township officials and utility companies.  The third phase, the bridge replacement took place over a weekend in early March. The gas company was contacted for their schedule of relocating the temporary gas line. They are waiting for the proper hangars to be supplied. Notifications were provided to the impacted residents alerting them of the updated project schedule.  The project has been broken down into five phases with varying levels of impact to the area.  The Contractor and impacted utility company were able to successfully complete the first two phases in January (temporary pedestrian bridge installation and installation of temporary underground gas line, respectfully).  As part of an assessment project, the work performed on this non-Township road will be paid back by the benefitting property owners to the Township as part of the assessment procedures.

2023 TOWNSHIP ROAD RESURFACING – PHASE 2

As part of the 2023 Township Road Resurfacing – Phase 2 project, additional preliminary reviews of Appletree Lane and Lake Shore Drive (between Fanwood Court and Longhouse Drive, approximately 1.2 miles) were completed in order to begin design work on those road projects.  Walk-through inspections to identify existing field conditions and potential improvements were performed on the both proposed road resurfacing project sites.  Maintenance repair items and other minor improvements will be recorded for DPW completion prior to resurfacing.  Plan design will begin in April to resurface the roads as part of the Phase 2 program.

2024 TOWNSHIP ROAD RESURFACING

As part of the preparatory evaluation work for the 2024 Township Road Resurfacing program, preliminary field work and inspections were performed.  Existing stormwater infrastructure materials within resurfacing eligible roads were reviewed to identify potential replacement and/or retrofit under the State stormwater regulations.  Material quantities were provided to the DPW in order to identify potential needs for the upcoming program.  Additional work will begin once funding is allocated for the program.

UNION VALLEY ROAD, GREENWOOD LAKE TURNPIKE, LAKESIDE ROAD, & STAINSBY ROAD – TRAFFIC SIGNAL

As part of the ongoing work to move forward with the proposed traffic signal project at the Union Valley Road, Greenwood Lake Turnpike, Lakeside Road and Stainsby Road intersection, public bids were received for the Intersection Improvement project.  Three bids were received on March 15, 2024.  A resolution was prepared and approved by the Governing Body at the March 20th meeting to the lowest bidder.  The contract was provided to the Contractor and is awaiting signature and other preliminary project items prior to scheduling a preconstruction meeting. The project intends to make intersection improvements at the subject intersection, including a proposed traffic signal.