Meeting Roundup: Riverdale Park's Council Talks Irene, Cafritz and More

Editor's Note: This post was corrected. In an earlier version of this post we misidentified the direction of the double turn lane proposed for Route 1. We regret the error.

Riverdale Park's mayor and council met Monday night after a short summer recess and discussed a number of topics making a normally two-hour long meeting, stretch out to almost four hours.

These are just briefs from the meeting, specific stories will follow this post.

• Riverdale Park Mayor Vernon Archer presented awards to fellow teachers who travelled to the town's sister city of Ipala, Guatemala to work as a part of an exchange program
• Council and nearly 70 guests listened to presentations from a town contracted planner, the Cafritz team and the public as they discussed the .
• Archer said that the town would like to partner with the to provide winter coats to needy residents through their social concerns budget. He's asking residents to donate coats or money to the drive. Contact town hall for more information.
• The town is also looking for folks to volunteer at Riverdale Park Day and at the Holiday Market. Archer also asked for residents to volunteer in the schools as well.
• The town is in discussions with the State Highway Administration to create a double turn lane from nortbound Route 1 headed eastboung on East-West Highway.
• Archer expressed his frustration with the SHA postponing a project to resurface East-West Highway between Route 1 and Kenilworth Avenue.
• Town Administrator Sara Imhulse presented plans for a new playground next to Riverdale Elementary.
• Although the region was hit with two natural incidents last week, no town buildings suffered injuries. More than 10 staff members worked overtime, including police dispatch.
• Riverdale Park Police Capt. Patrick Timmons said the police department served a number of warrants here in town with the sheriff’s deputies on July 28.
• Timmons said post receiving their, Rinaldi's Lane has been quiet with no incidents out of the ordinary parking complaint.
• DPW Director Leonard Addison said there won't be any trash collection on Labor Day. But trash will be picked up Thursday, Sept. 8.
• DPW employees worked from 7:30 p.m. Saturday to noon Sunday during Hurricane Irene. They worked closely with police department to respond to 10 emergency calls, where limbs and trees were blocking roadways, and another 10 incidents to clear roadways and walkways. The dept. picked up 10 tons of material, and he anticipates another 5 more will be picked up before it's done.
• Councilman Alan Thompson said council will vote upon the next week and he'd like them to review it and discuss it before the next meeting since there will be 450,000 square feet of office space going in there.
• Councilman Alejandro Silva said his Ward 6 residents have concerns about speed limits through their ward, and are especially concerned about the safety of pedestrians crossing 54th Avenue by Jefferson Street. Residents would like to see speed bumps.
• Resident Dannielle Glaros brought up a few concerns with council —including the safety of pedestrians crossing by and the lack of a safe way to cross at that location,
  the lack of means for organizations to communicate with residents in town and the lack of information available to residents concerning Cafritz and other items on the town's website, speeding in the town, the need for historic markers, planters and other means to beautify town's main corridors, and a lack of an Emergency Reponse Plan in town.
• Councilman Jonathan Ebbeler said the historic markers, Emergency Response Plan (ERP) and dysfunctional intersections are on his agenda as a councilman and he introduced a resolution for a ERP Monday night.
• Council discussed request to become a full-service tire and repair shop. Although they previously presented to council last year, since they went to District Council who are now asking for information before they vote. Although council previously did not take a stance on the project, they now want to write a letter in opposition of the upgrade to District Council based on how the business currently handles its operations off Kenilworth Avenue.
• Ebbeler introduced three draft resolutions to council including the ERP, a resolution concerning the contract planner the town hired to review Cafritz and a potential purchase of .
• Thompson said he will have petitions from his residents for speed bumps to submit to council at their next meeting.

The council will meet next on Tues, Sept. 6 at 8 p.m. at town hall.