Westwood Council Members Discuss How and When to Open Westvale Park

Members of the Westwood governing body talked about how and when to open and its facilities during the council work session Tuesday night. They said they want to let residents use the area as much as possible while preserving the fields.

Councilwoman Ingrid Quinn asked who would be responsible for deciding which portions of the park would be open to residents and for the appropriate signage to let people know which parts were off limits. She also asked if sub-committee could be formed to address concerns. "We're coming down to the wire," she said.

Council President Robert Miller said he recalled agreeing to one grand opening of Westvale Park in August, but others said there hadn't been a final decision in that area. Quinn said Recreation Director Gary Buchheister was proposing using the small ball fields by the end of May and the multi-puropose fields at the beginning of August.

Mayor John Birkner Jr. said since two of the fields are already open, A and B, he believes people should have access to the restrooms. "If we don't let people access them, then what good are they?" he asked.

He added that people are already using certain parts of Westvale Park by jogging on pathways and riding their bikes. "I don't think it would be reasonable to restrict the access to those components of the facility that are perfectly usable," Birkner said.

The mayor agreed that restrictions should be in place on the large fields so the grass has ample time to grow. He said that athletic groups would most likely cause the most damage and said athletic use should not be allowed on the multi-purpose fields until August.

Councilwoman Cynthia Waneck said as long as contractor Let It Grow, Inc. signed off on any permitted uses, she would be fine with giving access to residents. She added that she would like to see the dog park opened as soon as possible.

Borough Attorney Russell Huntington said a snow fence could be used to cordon off the specific fields or areas that are restricted to keep people away, which members of the governing body said they liked.

Councilman John J Sciara added, "We need to have maybe our signs in more than one language and a barricade of some sort so people realize that these are off limits because that is a big investment on the taxpayers of Westwood so we want to make sure we protect our investment."

Councilman William Phayre suggested that any member of the governing body who had a question or concern about Westvale submit it to Borough Administrator Robert Hoffmann who could compile a comprehensive list to be addressed.

Mayor Birkner said as it gets closer to the park opening, he could call biweekly meetings with Quinn, the Recreation Department and others who are involved.

Phayre pointed out that there is time to make decisions. "We're still in the proactive state, which is good," he said. "We're not reacting to anything."

The next council meeting is scheduled for April 19.