The Paving of Main Street's Span in Oradell

Many New Milford residents are aware of the Oradell span of Main Street - especially the fact that it's finally been paved. Unfortunately, we are all extremely aware of how this paving has been painfully long overdue.

Nothing seems to happen in a vaccum in the VanBuskirk area. When an issue arises in that section of Oradell and New Milford, the many, many inter-borough issues between Oradell and New Milford all seem to surface.

1. VanBuskirk Island historic site development - will ground ever break?
2. The Elm Street Bridge - will it ever return?
3. United Water development and business zoning - Commerce
4. United Water development and business zoning - Crowding
5. United Water development and business zoning - Flooding

Rather than digress into the 5 aforementioned related issues, I simply wonder why it took Oradell so long to pave what has been a ruined roadway for so many years? Meanwhile, New Milford improved their span of Main Street from the Mershrod Bridge to River Road over a year ago. For rational, intelligent people, it raises the obvious questions:

• Could it be that Oradell was waiting on historic site monies/funds in order to pay for the roadway work instead of using their own budget? If so, shame on Oradell for making us all wait on something as basic as a decent roadway for a subsidation.

• Many of us noticed that there was extensive curb work and what appeared to be a trench dug across the roadway where Elm Street runs perpendicular to Main. One would figure this to be an obvious improvement to the sewer in that area. Could it have been a collaboration with United Water on improving flooding conditions? If so, it would be nice to know that improvements are actually underway.

Again, all of the issues raised and questions posed on this blog are meant to keep us all aware of our home and our surroundings in hopes that not only the answers, but the right solutions are never too far out of reach.