The Westfield Leader Newspaper
The Times of Scotch Plains-Fanwood

CYAN YELLOW MAGENTA BLACK

Kevin T. Jackson

Counsellor at Law Westfield (908) 2322152

FAMILY ESTATE PLANNING

TRUSTS • POWER OF ATTORNEY • WILLS GUARDIAN DESIGNATIONS

Thursday, January 20 th

Edward Gottko Begins Newest Career Path Local Retailers Report Robust Holiday Sales

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Parking Report Set To be Completed By End of Next Month

By FRED ROSSI

Specially Written for The Westfield Leader and The Times

Despite stiff competition from the fairly new world of Internet shopping, local traditional merchants reported robust holiday sales.

Their experience mirrored that of national retailers that, in many cases, reported record sales during the holiday selling season.

Mostly moderate temperatures in December, a lack of any long stretch of inclement weather and a vibrant economy all combined to provide optimal shopping conditions for consumers with an ability to spend.

Local municipalities also did their best to draw holiday shoppers with downtown holiday celebrations, strolling carolers and other attractions aimed at adults and children.

“Very good, very positive,” enthused David Sutter, owner of

Lancaster Hallmark Ltd. on Elm Street in downtown Westfield. He told The Westfield Leader and The Times of Scotch Plains and Fanwood

that business this past holiday season was better than in 1998.

“Consumers were very receptive to the changes in town, as well as our own evening and Sunday hours. I think people like the idea of being able to come to town to eat dinner at a restaurant and then shop afterwards,” he said.

Similarly, Joseph Spector, owner of The Leader Store on East Broad Street, said his store “did fine” in December. He expressed his belief that the “shopping window has gotten shorter and shorter. The season used to run from Thanksgiving until Christmas. Now,” he said, “the last week before Christmas is a time of really intense walkin activity.”

He also has begun to see another new pattern: “More people buy early and then exchange early, before the holiday. People are satisfying their family with immediate gratification.”

Mr. Spector also pointed to the new businesses and improvements that have made Westfield a “destination” for many visitors, and shoppers, in particular.

He added that the improvements have, in fact, made Westfield the de facto Union County seat.

One of those new businesses reported having an “overwhelming” first two weeks of operation.

Ted Bougdanos of Panera Bread on East Broad Street said that business has been “more than we expected” since the bakery opened its doors on December 23.

“We’re really happy that people have accepted us,” he said, adding that sales were 30 percent higher than anticipated. “We didn’t expect to do that.”

Jane Koppang, Manager of The Papery, another downtown Westfield newcomer, at the corner of Elm and East Broad Streets, said her store “did very well” over the holiday season, “especially with it being our first season in town.” Her store opened in September.

After 30 years, the Music Staff on Quimby Street is closing its doors in a matter of weeks. Owner Ric

Miller said his final holiday season was “real good. We’re real happy.” He attributed his healthy holiday sales, which he estimated were better than a year earlier, to “a lot of hits” and “kids being home for the holidays.”

In neighboring Scotch Plains, Ray Pardon, owner of Nuts N’ Plenty, said he had “a good holiday season, a little better than last year, which was a surprise since 1999 was not a good year, given the slow summer.”

He said November and December account for about 40 percent of his annual business.

Mr. Pardon also heads the Scotch Plains Business and Professional Association, and said all indications from his members “tell me it was a pretty good holiday season, so I guess the Internet, home shopping networks and catalogs didn’t kill us.”

Nell Goodwin, owner of Beautiful Things on East Second Street, backed up Mr. Pardon’s assessment, stating that the holiday season “was great. In fact, the whole year was great, so I can’t complain.”

She called 1999 “the best year we’ve had in 26 years of being in business.”

Irma’s Hallmark on Martin Avenue in Fanwood, had a “wonderful” holiday season, according to store manager Chris Prefach, who said that business this past season was better than 1998.

By PAUL J. PEYTON

Specially Written for The Westfield Leader and The Times

WESTFIELD — A consultant hired by the Town of Westfield has indicated that his firm will be submitting its report to the Town Council within 30 days.

Rick Rich of Southfield, Michiganbased Rich and Associates noted that the study will include three main components: a demand analysis on parking in town, a site analysis on proposed locations for a parking facility, the size of such a facility and an economic analysis.

Mr. Rich said the firm has nearly completed the demand and site segments and will begin work shortly on the economic component of the report.

If a parking deck is recommended, he placed final construction costs — including financing — between $6 million and $7.2 million. He said construction costs for a 500space deck would range from $9,500 to $13,000 per space.

Financing would represent roughly 25 percent of the construction fees.

On the economic impact of a parking facility, Mr. Rich stated, “We have not gotten that far yet so we have no idea what that would be.”

Other options being considered in Westfield to relieve the current parking crunch are a shuttle service and additional surface lots.

Mayor Thomas C. Jardim and the council have placed a parking facility as a major priority item for the new year.

A Parking Steering Committee made up of elected officials and oth ers met Monday night to review and

rank a list of the town’s municipal parking lots as possible sites for a parking facility.

The committee includes Mayor Jardim, First Ward Councilman Carl A. Salisbury, Chairman of the council’s Transportation, Parking and Traffic Committee; Second Ward Councilman James Gruba, Finance Committee Chairman; Downtown Westfield Corporation Executive Director Michael La Place and Planning Board Chairman Martin Robins.

Mr. La Place said Mr. Rich will meet with the committee on Wednesday, January 19. At the meeting, the committee is expected to set a tight timeline on the due date for the parking report from the consultant.

“We told him (Mr. Rich) the community is getting anxious on this report,” Mr. La Place stated.

The survey completed by the steering committee judged the prospective sites on criteria ranging from ingress and egress and the ability of motorists to find the facility to the impact on adjacent properties and the expansion capability of a parking facility.

Sites ranked by the committee included lot no. 1 on Prospect Street, lot no. 4 off of Mountain Avenue, lot no. 5 on Elmer Street across from the First Congregational Church, lot no. 3A at the south side train station, lot no. 7 off of Central Avenue across from the Post Office and lot no. 9 (known as the Shell lot) on North Avenue.

By PAUL J. PEYTON

Specially Written for The Westfield Leader and The Times

WESTFIELD — After 20 years on the Town of Westfield payroll, Edward A. Gottko has gone back into the private sector.

Mr. Gottko, who retired as Administrator at the end of last year, has joined Millburnbased Killam Associates on a parttime basis. He is handling the duties of town engineer with the Township of Warren, which has a contract with Killam to contract out those services.

“I will not be involved in any project in Westfield at all,” he said of his new assignment with Killam.

Mr. Gottko came to Westfield as Town Engineer in 1979 from the City of Bayonne, where he had been Assistant City Engineer for nine years. He said he will miss the work and the Westfield town employees.

Mr. Gottko will continue to offer his assistance with town operations until a new administrator is brought on board.

He has stopped into the administrator’s office to sort through mail and other town business to ensure the town continues to function in an orderly fashion.

Mr. Gottko noted that the 2000 municipal budget is nearly 95 percent complete. He will assist the Town Council and new administrator through this process as long as they feel his services are needed.

Mr. Gottko follows a number of other employees who have retired over the past few years. Joy Vreeland retired last month after 36 years as Town Clerk. In addition, both Robert W. Brennan and Violet Jacob retired during the past several years after long tenures with the town as Tax Assessor and Tax Collector, respectively.

Mr. Gottko has said he will continue to be active in Westfield. He serves on the Board of Directors of the WestfieldMountainside Chapter of the American Red Cross and the Westfield Y and is active with the Rotary Club of Westfield.

Parking Ordinance Discussed by Council

In Mountainside By KIMBERLY A. BROADWELL

Specially Written for The Westfield Leader and The Times

MOUNTAINSIDE —An ordinance amending and voiding the existing parking designations and parking permits was discussed Tuesday evening during the Mountainside council’s agenda setting meeting.

The ordinance, which will also include revised regulations for the existing and new borough parking lots, is scheduled for a second reading at the January 18 Borough Council meeting.

During previous Mountainside Council meetings, regulations concerning the spaces available in the borough’s new parking lot on the Northeast corner of Route 22, West, across from Mountainside Borough Hall, were discussed.

Borough government officials decided that the 42 spaces allotted for commuter parking would be done so on a firstcome, firstserved basis if the resident demand for the spaces totaled 42 or less. If more than 42 spaces are sought, then the Borough Council decided a lottery would be conducted.

Mayor Robert F. Viglianti and the council noted at a December 23 meeting that the cost for parking would be $90 per quarter, and that the applications for the spaces had to be filled out by Tuesday, February 1.

The local governing body decided that if the applications do not reach 42 inquiries by Tuesday, February 15, then parking would be available for nonresidents, on

a firstcome, firstserved monthly basis of $40.

It was noted that if an application did come at any time from a Mountainside resident for a space, then the nonresident would be bumped from his or her space at the end of any given month.

Borough Attorney John Post noted that if any resident wanted a space on a monthtomonth basis, then such an arrangement could be worked out. In addition, it was noted that more than one person living at a residence could apply for a space.

The governing body decided that the spaces would be available to permit holders from 5: 30 a. m. to 8 p. m. Monday through Friday and that these permits were not valid on Saturdays and Sundays.

In other business, it was announced that the borough will be adding a new handicapped accessible ramp to the municipal building and that the majority of the funding for the project has come from a Community Development Block Grant from Union County.

Acting Administrator James Debbie announced that all but $1,800 of the $9,656 project is being paid through the grant and that quotes currently were being received for the job.

Finally, it was announced that the upcoming budget for Mountainside, which is still being worked on by the Mayor and council, would include increases in the areas of library funding, rescue squad funding and fire department funding.