Residents Outraged Over Jackhammering In Middle Of Night

Upper Montclair residents expressed outrage Tuesday over incessant jackhammering that occurred throughout Monday night, keeping children awake on their first night of school.

"Last night they were jackhammering on Valley Road at Inwood Avenue until 2:30 in the morning," said Emily Grand, mother of three. "Have you ever had a jackhammer outside your bedroom window? At night? While you're trying to sleep so you can go to work the next day?  While your children are trying to go to sleep?  On the first night of school?"

She said she had to place cotton balls in her children's ears to try and keep the noise out.

The County of Essex Department of Public Works' Division of Engineering recently issued a notice to let residents and businesses on Valley Road know that on or about August 18 through September 10, Valley Road from Bloomfield Avenue to Mount Hebron Road would be milled and paved under the Essex County 2010 Roadway Resurfacing Program.

"There should be one more night of milling from the CVS to Brookfield Road," said Melinda Cortez, a spokeswoman for the Essex County Department of Public Works, adding that this probably means one more night of jackhammering.

"The paving schedule is still tentative ... could be Friday and Monday and possibly into next week," she said. "We do apologize for any inconvenience."

Councilor Rich Murnick said that there should be no more noise on Valley near the Inwood Avenue area.

"The road is paved there now, from King's to about Mount Hebron, and it looks gorgeous," he said. "I'm excited that the county is getting it done."

He said that he realizes the loud noise in the middle of the night was an inconvenience.

"But the whole process has actually been quick and easy," he said.

Grand said that, according to a discussion with the police department, officers were authorized by the Township to allow repaving work to be performed at night so that business and traffic on Valley Road wouldn't be disrupted.

"I say this was a big mistake," she said. "Hundreds of residents living near this road work lost a night of sleep and now have their own businesses disrupted as a result.  The school children will struggle today too."

Another Upper Montclair resident, Sidney Simon, said that "I"ve never experienced anything like this before in my life."

Grand said she's worried that the nighttime work will continue.

"If I went into my backyard with a leafblower at 2 in the morning the police would come and stop me," she said. "How can this be okay?"