Council Committee Gathers to Address Ways to Relieve Parking Woes in Westfield

Ad Populos, Non Aditus, Pervenimus USPS 680020 Published Every Thursday OUR 111th YEAR – ISSUE NO. 34-111 Periodical – Postage Paid at Westfield, N.J. Thursday, May 3, 2001 Since 1890 (908) 232-4407 FIFTY CENTS Council Committee Gathers to Address Ways to Relieve Parking Woes in Westfield By JAMES FOERST Third Ward Councilman Neil F. to by the council, this would allow routes throughout the residential Specially Written for The Westfield Leader Sullivan, Committee Chairman, stated for the council to move forward neighborhoods of Westfield stopping Jitneys, valet services, and a park- that in finding a solution to the parking “without committing to a particular at designated pick-up locations ing deck were just a few items of problems, “The overriding objective solution or site,” said Mr. Sullivan. around town. The service would also discussion last Thursday at the Town of any decisions will be to determine The funds would be paid for encompass remote parking facilities Council’s Transportation, Parking how to best serve the community. Ev- through the recent increases in park- such as the lot at the Westfield Me- and Traffic Committee meeting. eryone will have access to all the infor- ing meter and permit fees which are morial Pool. Riders would be re- mation involved in the process” and projected to raise approximately quired to pay a minimal fee to utilize “there will be a commitment to involv- $400,000 in the first year. the services of the jitney. Although ing and incorporating public input.” The committee recommended that slated as a short-term solution to the Hiring a full-time parking director the council proceed with a proposal for parking deficiencies, “the jitney Emergency was the most pressing order of busi- jitney service in and around the town could be incorporated as part of an ness for the committee. The commit- as well as converting the South Avenue overall long-term solution to the lack Still Effective tee agreed that the first step toward a parking lot from a self parking facility of parking in the downtown area,” parking solution would be to fill this to a modified valet service. said Mr. Sullivan. position. The job recently was adver- The council presently has pending The committee also recommended For Water Use tised to the public through various before NJ Transit an application for a the implementation of a valet park- By HORACE R. CORBIN media outlets. grant of two jitney vehicles to the ing service at the South Avenue lot. Specially Written for The Westfield Leader “Some resumes have been received,” town. The council and NJ Transit are The lot presently has capacity of 469 Local residents served by said Mr. Sullivan, who indicated that slated to discuss this capital acquisi- permit parking spaces available with Elizabethtown Water Company he would like the council to hire a tion in early May. The town would an additional 81 metered spots. The were urged to continue to boil parking director “before the summer.” incur no capital expense but would be valet service would increase the num- their water while making every The committee also took another required to hire drivers as well as ber of available spaces in the lot by effort to continue conservation step toward the construction of the maintain the multi-passenger vehicles. approximately 125 with the ability efforts following a major water proposed parking structure by rec- Councilman Sullivan stated that, to sell approximately 200 more per- main break Monday night near ommending the passage of an ordi- “The jitney service could be up and mits based on current usage. the company’s primary water nance authorizing the allocation of running before the summer” with the The first 469 vehicles in the lot treatment plant in Bridgewater. $700,000 of general revenue funds possibility of an additional two ve- each day would maintain the ability The area affected included toward capital parking solutions. hicles being acquired by January 2002. to park and lock their cars. Once all Westfield, Scotch Plains, Although no solution has been agreed The jitney would incorporate CONTINUED ON PAGE 10 Fanwood and Mountainside, as well as one million customers in 46 municipalities served by Elizabethtown Water, including most of Union County. The break also impacted customers in eight other communi- ties serviced by Edison and Lib- erty water companies. Erin Reilly, spokeswoman for Elizabethtown Water Company in Westfield, told The Westfield Leader and The Times of Scotch Plains-Fanwood that the break was isolated as of Tuesday morning. The water company reported that customers began seeing nor- mal pressures and flows by early Tuesday morning. However, major news stations reported that some customers were still expe- riencing low pressures throughout the day. Backup pipe lines were brought into service, and the output of Elizabethtown’s Franklin treatment plant was increased to maximum capacity, Ms. Reilly reported. The company issued a precau- David B. Corbin for The Westfield Leader tionary boil water advisory no- POLITICAL VISIT…Democratic politicians stopped by the office of The Westfield Leader and The Times of Scotch Plains- Brooks Crandall for The Westfield Leader tice on Tuesday morning, in case Fanwood during Sunday’s Spring Fling festivities. Pictured, left to right, are: Union County Freeholder Lewis Mingo, Jr., SPRING SPLENDOR IN THE DOWNTOWN…Sunday’s annual Spring Fling contamination entered into its former Westfield Mayor Thomas C. Jardim, Woodbridge Mayor and candidate for New Jersey Governor Jim McGreevey, activities were enjoyed by residents and visitors to Westfield’s downtown. distribution system due to low Union County Freeholders Mary P. Ruotolo and Daniel Sullivan, and former Seventh District Congressional candidate J. Pictured, at top, crowds gather on the corner of Quimby and Elm Street to pressure in the mains. As of Brooke Hern. Mr. Jardim and Mr. Hern are both running for Assembly in the redrawn 21st legislative district. savor Italian ices and view rare crafts; center, a youngster has his caricature done by a visiting artist; bottom, members of a musical ensemble from the Wednesday, the advisory re- New Jersey Workshop of the Arts perform festive selections. mained in effect. Many area schools were closed on Tuesday due to the water advi- Council Agrees to Fund Hiring sory, while schools that remained Spring Fling Attracts open advised students to bring their own water. To date, there is no evidence Of Consultant to Design Deck that contamination entered the By PAUL J. PEYTON posed for the downtown. 30,000 to Downtown Specially Written for The Westfield Leader will include design of the deck in distribution system, Ms. Reilly The bond ordinance, to be intro- terms of aesthetics, the size and foot- stated. The company recom- The Westfield Town Council duced next Tuesday night, will en- By DEBORAH MADISON programs also sponsored by the agreed Tuesday night to move ahead print of the facility, as well as pos- Specially Written for The Westfield Leader mended, as a precautionary mea- able the town to raise $700,000 in sible development of businesses and Chamber. The Chamber also hosts sure, that customers continue to with an ordinance to fund the hiring bond anticipation notes for profes- The Spring Fling street fair held in another similar event in September, of a consultant to complete the de- residential development along the CONTINUED ON PAGE 10 sional services that will include the downtown Westfield on Sunday at- the Festifall. sign phase of a parking deck pro- frontage of the facility on Elm and tracted its “biggest crowd ever,” ac- design and construction management Prospect Streets. cording to Westfield Area Chamber for the building of a maximum, 826- The second half of this phase, he space parking facility. of Commerce Chairwoman, Debbie explained, will include producing Town Administrator Thomas Sh- the actual building plans and specifi- Schmidt. annon, who expressed eagerness to The weather cooperated with a cations for the project, leading to the move the project along, said the con- hiring of a contractor. near perfect day to draw approxi- ceptual, or schematic design, phase mately 30,000 participants, she esti- CONTINUED ON PAGE 10 mated. “We also had more vendors and more non-profit organizations than Enrollment Crisis at RIS in previous years,” she added. Many new vendors introduced their wares to this year’s event, making it a truly multicultural ex- Discussed by School Bd. perience, with food, jewelry, cloth- By MELISSA BETKOWSKI sented to the board. These include: ing and music from countries span- Specially Written for The Westfield Leader • Beginning with the 2001-2002 ning the globe. Westfield Superintendent of school year, offer parents of entering Raagini filled the air with the Schools Dr. William J. Foley pre- sixth grade students the option of enticing aroma of Indian cuisine, sented the recommendations of the attending Edison School with trans- while pan flute melodies from Bo- Citizens Advisory Committee regard- portation. Dr. Foley noted that it will livia wafted down East Broad ing overcrowding at Roosevelt Inter- take a minimum of 15 students to Street. If curry wasn’t your thing, mediate School at the Board of make instituting this plan practical. you could dine on Greek, Chinese Education’s regular meeting held • Beginning with the 2001-2002 or Italian dishes. And, there was Tuesday night at Jefferson Elemen- school year when the average class tary School. size on a team exceeds 25 students, plenty of good ol’ fashioned Ameri- The committee, made up of 22 can fare like Bobbie B’s barbecued provide a paraprofessional that will parents, administrators from both be assigned to assist teachers as ribs and country tunes or down- Roosevelt and Edison Intermediate home delta blues to please the more needed.

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