SUMMIT, NJ — Maple Street will remain open for now after Mayor Elizabeth Fagan vetoed a proposed ordinance that would have temporarily closed the downtown street for three months.
In a message sent to Common Council, Fagan said the ordinance conflicted with state law and lacked the documentation needed to justify a full-time street closure.
“I cannot sign this ordinance,” Fagan wrote, citing both legal and public safety concerns.
The proposal called for temporarily closing Maple Street for three months, an issue that has sparked debate in Summit in recent weeks over traffic and safety concerns.
Fagan said the city engineer could not certify that the closure would improve traffic flow and safety, which she said is required under state regulations. She also said written reports supporting the closure from the city’s public safety officials were never provided.
“The only possible way for me to draw that conclusion honestly would be through consideration of written documentation from the engineer, fire chief, and police chief illustrating the necessity of closing Maple Street,” Fagan wrote. “That does not exist.”
The mayor also said Summit Police Chief Ryan Peters and Fire Chief Eric Evers raised concerns about the proposed layout and traffic impacts.
Fagan additionally criticized the process leading up to the council vote, saying the city solicitor had warned council members the ordinance, as written, was unenforceable under state law.
The debate over Maple Street has become one of the most closely watched local issues in Summit, with residents and officials continuing to weigh the balance between pedestrian-friendly downtown spaces and traffic and safety concerns.
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