ENGINEERING DIVISION MONTHLY REPORT
JANUARY 2024

Charles Carbone, P.E., Supervising Engineering Aide

 

BRADRICK LANE STREAM CLEANING

Follow-up conversations and meetings were held with the consulting Township Engineer regarding the proposal for the next potential task detailed in the previously provided scope of work.  Available office records and field information is being reviewed to determine the contributing storm drainage in the area.  The Township Attorney was consulted regarding the legal impacts the drainage easements incur to the Township.  A future meeting is anticipated to discuss the drainage concern with the consulting Township Engineer.

BUDGET

Utilizing the Road Ratings Lists, a preliminary list of roads of potential resurfacing was prepared to determine the extents of a possible paving program dependent upon the funding allocated to the resurfacing program by the Governing Body.  A resurfacing program is determined based on multiple factors, though the rating of the road carries the most weight.  Other factors include roads within close proximity for a more efficient program, known / ongoing drainage concerns, legal / outstanding matters, future construction projects and location throughout the Township (though the least impactful, location is considered to ensure “Town-wide” programs).  Other budgetary items, such as grant applications and similar, are reviewed and construction cost estimates are developed in order to forecast potential funding needs.  A preliminary budget hearing is scheduled for February 7th.

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, Passaic County was consulted regarding the proposed plan for the project.  Previously, NJ Transit has noted that they are amenable to the replacement project with concurring support from the County.  The Passaic County Engineering Department noted would have no objection to the proposed improvements.  Field work was performed to confirm the location and preliminary extents of construction along with the estimated sight distance in the area.  In nearing the end of the coordination or this project, communication with the private property owner was recommenced in order to confirm the extents of the work and required 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.

HIGH CREST DRIVE

As a result of a drainage concern, a drainage system in the High Crest Lake development was inspected and mapped to determine contributing sources of the system.  The results were provided to the Health Department for follow up testing and review.

LAKE PARK TERRACE

Due to heavy rains, multiple drainage concerns were received for stormwater runoff flowing from a mountain ridge and through East Shore Road and Lake Park Terrace / Forest Lake Drive to Greenwood Lake.  The drainage concerns at the location require further review and likely input from the consultant Township Engineer and potentially Township Attorney.

LOT DEVELOPMENT PLAN REVIEW

Five (5) 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 meeting was attended to record notes of dialogue between Engineering Division staff and a resident.  A long-standing concern is under review by the resident and municipality. The area of concern is on private property which has an access easement across it. The resident inquired 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 possibly set up a meeting to discuss these items further.

2024 MUNICIPAL LAWN MAINTENANCE

Revisions were made to existing municipal lawn maintenance maps in order to properly reflect current conditions and maintenance needs of municipal property, including athletic fields.  The revised pages were provided to the Community Services & Recreation Department and Department of Public Works for review prior to advertising.

PASSAIC COUNTY ROADS

The Passaic County Office of the County Engineer contacted the municipality for input regarding future Passaic County resurfacing programs.  An evaluation was performed for all Passaic County roadways within West Milford.  A response was provided to the Passaic County Engineer.

PAVEMENT MANAGEMENT PROGRAM

The Road Rating Lists, for local and main roads, were updated to include the completed 2024 ratings.  The Road Rating Lists are generated using the Pavement Management Program which evaluates roads based on various criteria, each with their own score.  The total score results in the rating of the road which is then utilized to list the roads.  The lists are utilized to determine annual road resurfacing priorities.  Roads not resurfaced are re-rated every 3 years.  Other minor road rating updates are anticipated to be completed in early February to complete the lists for 2024.  The Road Rating Lists are fluid and adjusted annually in order to guide the resurfacing program but do not dictate the extents of the projects.

PINECLIFF LAKE DRIVE

A residential inquiry regarding a drainage concern was received by the Department of Public Works in December.  The DPW requested assistance from the Engineering Division in January and subsequent inspections were performed.  Upon discussion and meeting with the resident, a tree root mass was discovered preventing complete flow of the drainage system.  Records indicate that a similar clog was removed in the early 2000’s but required a portion of the impacted drainage pipe to be replaced.  Willow tree roots have a propensity for seeking water sources and commonly impact drainage systems.  During a warm weather spell, it was recommended to attempt to clear the clog with machinery prior to consideration of pipe replacement again.  The DPW was able to remove the clog (excluding a minor root infiltration) to restore flow.  A work order will be created for follow up DPW inspection and excavation of the root location in the future.

2023-2024 SNOW PLOWING SERVICES

The Governing Body previously approved, by resolution, contracts for 2023-2024 Snow Plowing Services to six contractors totaling 50 trucks.  The Township contracts for private snow plowing services (trucks and drivers) annually to supplement in-house manpower and equipment.  Maps, tables, charts and various other supplemental documents were created to assist the Department of Public Works for winter maintenance.  Multiple meetings and conversations were held to discuss operations and needs in order to provide as much assistance as required for successful operations.  Winter maintenance concerns, snow plowing contractor invoices and supplemental documents were reviewed and provided to the Department of Public Works for processing.  The Department of Public Works is responsible for snow and ice removal on over 190 miles of Township, non-Township and private roads within West Milford.

TOWNSHIP ANNEX PROJECT / RIDGE ROAD BUILDING

Technical assistance was provided to the Contractor and other municipal offices regarding the renovation project as needed.  The Contractor has been coordinating work efforts with other municipal staff throughout the project.  A meeting was attempted to be held but is awaiting revised plans from the architect in order to be provided to the Contractor.  The revised plans are anticipated to be received in early February and then require review from the Building Department.  The renovation project intends to convert the former Library building to municipal office space.

UPPER HIGH CREST LAKE ROAD

An emergency stormwater drainage pipe failure was reported to the Department of Public Works.  As a result, field work was required to reestablish the design of the pipe along with the replacement of a stormwater inlet structure as part of a DPW project.  With an anticipated warm weather window expected in early February, the field work was completed in order to facilitate the replacement of the approximately 170’ of drainage pipe and one structure.

WANAQUE ROAD

A residential inquiry regarding a drainage concern was received in late December / early January as a result of the heavy rain events.  Since the subject road is not Township owned, the inquiry switched to that of a potential soil movement matter.  Upon multiple inspections, file research and reviews, it was determined that the concern was a private civil matter at the time of review.  Follow-up inquiries were responded to regarding this matter.

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 71 occasions.  Field inspections, photographs, reports and/or follow up were required for 9 of these issues.
  • Technical assistance was provided, for various issues, to other departments on 64 occasions.
  • File research, map copies and/or information was provided to professionals on 11 occasions.Assistance was provided to builders, contractors and utilities on 6 occasions.
  • 3 Right of Way Entry Permit Applications were received, processed, and returned to the Clerk’s office.
  • 3 OPRA requests were responded to.
  • The Township’s Stormwater Regulation Consultant was contacted regarding future inspections and work
  • A subdivision developer was contacted regarding the maintenance of under-construction subdivision roads
  • Rain inspections were performed during heavy rain events at various locations to record and identify potential improvements, if any.  Additional heavy rain events led to Town-wide flooding.
  • A former variance approved property improvement was evaluated and the Zoning Officer and Zoning Board Secretary were consulted for this concern.
  • One potential soil moving concern was evaluated.
  • A Webinar “NJ Stormwater Retrofit BMP Guide” was attended.
  • 2 Board of Adjustment applications were reviewed.
  • 5 weekly reports for Administration were prepared.
  • 1 outdoor permit was reviewed.
  • A meeting with West Milford Office of Emergency Management was attended.
  • A review email was received from New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Highlands exemption for the proposed Town Hall / Annex septic system. The consultant Engineer prepared a revised plan which was resubmitted to NJDEP.

 

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. Project close out items were prepared in anticipation of informing the New Jersey Department of Transportation of the project status and updated in the NJDOT Project Management and Reporting System (PMRS) for electronic management of NJDOT grants.  The NJDOT confirmed acceptance of the project after their final inspection in early January.  Final payment was released to the Contractor after receipt of the 2-year/10% maintenance bond.  The final close out documents will be completed over the next six months, prior to the six month close out period.  This resurfacing project is partially funded by a $332,000 State Aid roadway grant.

ROAD ASSESSMENT PROGRAM – HANOVER, ALPINE, ET AL

The Governing Body 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 at the January 17th meeting.  Additional meetings and correspondence, including discussion of intended road design aspects, were provided as part of this 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, a preconstruction meeting was held with the design engineer, contractor, utility company and Township officials to discuss the superstructure replacement project on Stowaway Road.  The Contractor indicated a potential start date of preliminary work as soon as practical in order to begin the scheduling process of the superstructure replacement.  Coordination of the construction impacts has been streamlined with the association members and community in an effort to reduce the impact to residents in the area.  Notifications were provided to the impacted residents alerting them of the project.  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 (temporary pedestrian bridge installation and installation of temporary underground gas line, respectfully).  The next phase requires improved ambient temperatures to avoid impacts to first responder equipment and will be scheduled when conditions permit. 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.

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, the revisions and work required for the traffic signal was discussed with the design engineer, Passaic County and Township staff.  Revised plans were submitted to the County Engineers Office for review and comment. A Teams meeting was held to discuss the comments. The consulting Engineer made the revisions and resubmitted the plans. The consultant Engineer provided the signal timing to the County for their review. Specifications for bidding were prepared in anticipation of advertising the project in the near future.