Green Avenue Paving Demands Brought to Council

Madison will apply for a state grant to repair Green Avenue in the borough and make fixing the road a priority, the governing body agreed on Monday after listening to frustrated residents decry the "deplorable" and "decaying" state of the road and submitting a petition to have it fixed by June 1, 2013.

But officials said additional information about other capital projects, such as costly repairs that are expected to be needed for the sewer system, and even the makeup of the council after the election could affect what ultimately happens with the project.

Based on previous bids, the project could cost approximately $550,000 and a state grant, if one was awarded, might cover $250,000 of the amount, borough engineer Bob Vogel estimated. Some council members said they expected the cost would be higher. Residents said the road needs to be fixed with or without state funds.

Councilman Robert Landrigan suggested $450,000 in FEMA reimbursement funds that are expected to start being paid to the borough could be used toward the project.

Resident Sandeep Bhatt was among the residents who said the road needs to be fixed.

He said mistakes led to Green Avenue not being fixed over the last several years and the governing body needs to ensure the mistakes are never repeated.

"The buck stops with the council and the mayor," he said.

Along with the June 1 deadline, Bhatt said the borough needs to set clear steps in the process and be transparent about how the project is progressing.

Resident Jerome Holzman said residents who live near the road ought to have their taxes lowered because it has been so poorly maintained.