WESTFIELD — The Westfield Town Council’s plan to convert the intersection of Clark Street and East Dudley Avenue into a four-way stop drew minor opposition Tuesday evening from residents who claimed that the change could have unintended consequences.
“I believe that in the absence of a traffic light, we should just leave the intersection as it is,” Orenda Circle said resident Stephen Goodman, speaking during the council’s agenda-setting meeting. “I think this may just cause confusion, which could lead to more accidents.”
Town officials assured residents that the change, which was approved by unanimous consent during Tuesday night’s regular meeting, will be accompanied by temporary signage to alert motorists to the new traffic pattern in advance.
“I think the four-way stop is the most malleable solution,” Councilman Todd Saunders said. “We are committed to checking the data from this intersection every six months, and if we find that there are problems, we can talk about other alternatives.”
The council also took an important step towards reducing its carbon footprint this week when it voted to introduce a resolution which will require the community to formulate a cohesive Climate Action Plan over the course of the coming year.
The resolution, drafted in support of several new state-level initiatives, states in part that, “a scientific consensus has been reached that global-warming-induced climate change is real and that, if uninterrupted, the consequences will be dire. [The town] recognizes the need to address climate change through the reduction of greenhouse gases by a significant reduction of the burning of fossil fuels and through the implementation of adaptation measures to reduce the impact of climate change on the community.”
According to information provided in the resolution, Westfield’s residents make up about 0.33 percent of the state’s population and generate 0.53 percent of New Jersey’s residential greenhouse-gas emissions. Of those emissions, 40 percent comes directly from buildings, 36 percent comes from transportation and 24 percent comes from electric usage.
Potential remediation options listed in the resolution include adding more charging stations for electric vehicles, transitioning to renewable power sources for municipal and town-wide use, improving energy efficiency in municipally-owned buildings, and increasing awareness of opportunities to support New Jersey’s climate goals.
Several residents, including a few members of the town’s Green Team, stepped to the podium on Tuesday to voice their support for the resolution.
“The Green Team has put a lot of effort into scoping out potential climate actions. I think this resolution is both morally correct and deeply practical. Many of the actions identified won’t cost us much today, but they will save future generations from a lot of trouble down the line,” Green Team member Peter Goldberg said.
The council also introduced a new ordinance on Tuesday that would further codify lead-based paint inspections in residential dwellings in order to bring the town more in line with state-level regulations. Under the terms of the ordinance, landlords would be required to submit to lead based paint inspections within two years of the law’s adoption or whenever a new tenant moves into a rentable space, whichever comes first. Landlords additionally will be responsible for scheduling re-inspections for each of their units every three years.
Inspections will be done by a lead inspector risk assessor from the fire department and will be supplemented as necessary by a registered environmental health specialist for the health department.
The ordinance dictates that landlords will need to pay $425 for each lead based paint inspection to occur in an apartment and $550 for each single family home inspection. In the event that violations are discovered, property owners will have 30 days to initiate remediation efforts. After that time period lapses, landlords will be subject to a fine of $1,000 per week until the situation is addressed.
“This ordinance is being introduced in response to some new mandates by the state,” Councilman David Contract said. “Beyond that, this is a matter of health and safety and it’s the right thing to do.”
The council is expected to host a public hearing and cast its final vote on the new ordinance during its next meeting, which is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, May 14.
