Emergency Bond Spending in Berkeley Heights- Storm Recovery or Misplaced Priorities?
I visited the majority of specific addresses listed in the Township Storm Damage Assessment. .
My research was based on the very specific house numbers and scope of work listed on the Township’s Assessment Report. While several houses did not seem to have sustained noticeable damage, I found a slew of roads and driveway aprons that DID sustain massive damage. I also noticed multiple addresses listed that had already been repaired/patched and, in some cases, entire driveways that had been repaved presumably as a result of damage.
Disclaimer: I am not an engineer nor do I pretend to know anything about roadways, cost of repairs or general road infrastructure outside of what I can see with my two eyes. To protect the privacy of our neighbors and friends, I have excluded house numbers in my report but have a record of each home and street visited.
| Russo Place | Spring Ridge Drive | * Springfield Avenue |
| Park & Mountain Ave | Firehouse Driveway | * Park Avenue |
| Wentworth Drive | Rogers Ave | * Princeton Avenue |
| Wardle Avenue | Kingman Road | * Riverbend Road |
| Bristol Court | Circle View Avenue | * Chaucer Drive |
| Balmoral Drive | Watchung Way | * Cromwell Court |
| Cambridge Drive | Dogwood Lane | * Forest Avenue |
| Evergreen Lane | Holly Glen Lane | * Deerpath |
| Holly Glen Lane South | * MKM Exit | * Hamilton Avenue |
* a handful of streets that weren’t included in the Township Assessment that sustained damage
Analysis and Opinion
Disappointment and utter confusion doesn’t even begin to sum up my experience.
Of all the streets I drove on and walked on, only Park Avenue and Russo Place would fall under the category of “in dire repair.” To be fair, I did not drive or walk down every single street in Berkeley Heights and I’m sure there is a ton of damage I missed.
After traveling 40+ miles around town by car and foot, I still don’t understand the rhyme or reason to the majority of the proposed projects, the quotes for repair and how specific addresses were picked for driveway aprons and others were seemingly omitted or forgotten.
Neighbors and friends had massive amount of water rushing through their streets, their yards and their basements. That is a fact. It is my belief that the 3-million dollar emergency bond to make the repairs contained within the Townships Assessment report is not being used wisely or in a fiscally responsible manner. In short, I believe the 3 million dollars could have been put to better use or, at the very least – an assessment of every street in our Township with a rubric to designate priority repairs so residents could fully understand not only the magnitude of the damage but have a sense that the Township is taking steps to keep residents safe and but ensuring our roads and walkways are passable
A number of roads in the Townships Assessment are single-lane, dead-ends with a handful of homes that are rarely used by the community. That is not to say they don’t deserve repairs – they definitely do. It would have been easier to digest the whopping 3-million dollar budget had high-traffic areas been addressed first or some sort of explanation provided to how the Assessment was ultimately created.
I remain confused with what appears to be inconsistent estimates while reviewing assessed damage and proposed repairs. I was specifically concerned about the estimate of $300,000+ to repair “wash out” on the rarely used Watchung Way access road for Runnels and Circle View. The road is what one would expect being a passage through a densely wooded area – it’s not great, but it’s not terrible.
I am frustrated beyond words that so much money is being spent on these repairs when there are several high-traffic areas in our township that need to be fixed for the safety of our residents.
With school starting in a few weeks why isn’t anyone holding emergency meetings to ensure the roads and sidewalks are safe for our children?
And why, after one month, not a single mention of an estimated time of repair to the Park and Mountain Avenue intersection been addressed? Actually, why isn’t this fixed yet?
Accountability means putting your money where your mouth is and hitting the pavement, literally, if necessary.
Editors Note
In response to the Township’s focus on three-four sentences from Laura’s article, we are clarifying the distinction between analysis and opinion and fact-based reporting.
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Laura’s written commentary—her personal frustration and conclusions about how bond monies are being used—should be understood as analysis and opinion. Labeling it this way is a good-faith step on our part, intended to move the discussion forward and encourage the Township to engage with the substantive issues raised.
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The factual portion of the report—the images and cost estimates—is sourced directly from Township documents. Our review found that in most cases, driveways had only one cost estimate attached, not multiple. This fact-based section stands as a straightforward piece of reporting and remains unchanged.
We hope this clarification allows the Township to turn down the temperature and focus on what matters most: the ongoing confusion residents face about how specific driveways and roads were selected for bond-funded repairs.
This was never about making the Township “look bad.” Laura devoted hours of on-the-ground work to this project, and her frustration about the process was a natural reaction to what she observed. Importantly, she reached out to Township officials multiple times requesting that any claimed errors be provided in writing. The Township declined, insisting on an in-person meeting. As past experience has shown, closed-door meetings risk being mischaracterized and leave no public record. For the same reason, NJ21st also asked on the Township’s Facebook page for documentation of errors, and no evidence was provided.
Our goal remains the same: accountability through documented facts. We welcome any corrections to the factual portion of this report, along with any evidence or details the Township has not yet shared.
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