Commuter Lot Spots To Open This Week

Mahwah commuters who have been frustrated by the pile of Winter’s Pond dirt at the E. Ramapo Ave. lot should get parking spots back this week.

Over the weekend, a contractor removed the silt and other dredged material taken from Winter’s Pond that was taking up spots in the commuter lot, Mayor Bill Laforet confirmed Saturday. A contractor who was interested in the material removed it at no cost to the township, he said.

“The pond project is complete and priority [number one] is restoring commuter parking,” he said in his announcement. “Our residents have been inconvenienced long enough and we appreciate their cooperation.” He said the spots should be open and available to commuter cars this week.

According to a project update from Township Engineer Mike Kelly at Thursday’s town council meeting, the dredging is completely finished, and some of the material had been taken from the lot by KG Marine Contracting, who dredged the pond.

“It’s very desirable material, but it’s hard to get someone to take [all of it] it in the winter,” Laforet said. The coordinated the free pick up of the additional material, he said.

“We had as much as 40 percent of the lot taken up by the [dredged material], and if it snowed, we would have even more of the lot become unusable,” DPW Director Keith Hallissey said. “That’s why it was a priority to find someone who could take the material from the area.”

According to Laforet, the will “have a variable message sign up to inform commuters.”