Politics & Government

Village of Lawrence Notebook: More Williams Street Woes, Hurricane Damage Estimate

A look at the issues trustees discussed at their September meeting.

Residents of a Lawrence apartment building still seething over the to change traffic on Williams Street shouted at board members at Thursday’s meeting and warned of accidents if the proposal goes through.

“It’s a misnomer to call it Williams Street. It’s an alleyway, even if you chop off the sidewalk,” said Ann Wertheim, a resident of the Plaza residences at 360 Central Avenue. “None of us understand what the benefit is of chopping off a sidewalk on Williams Street and making it two ways. How long do we have to schlep out here to stew about Williams Street?”

The board approved a proposal in July making half of the street, closest to Mulry Lane, one way only toward Mulry and the other half a two-way road. The goal is to reduce traffic on nearby Washington Avenue, according to trustees. At a meeting two weeks later, Trustees Michael Fragin, Ed Klar and Joel Mael abstained during a vote to the decision, ending the effort. Mayor Martin Oliner tried to hold a similar vote at Thursday’s meeting, with the same result.

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“This is a two-year-old issue. We’ve had scores of complaints, including from the fire department, about traffic on Washington Avenue,” Fragin said. “You don’t have people satisfied 100 percent of the time. This is the decision of the village. It’s not up for debate right now.”

Also discussed at the meeting:

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  • Oliner estimates that Hurricane Irene cost the village about $150,000 to $175,000, all of which should be refunded by FEMA.
    The mayor commended village employees, clergy and other organizations that assisted during the hurricane, saying they performed “exceptionally.”
    “We had flooding and damage, but things worked as well as they could. We thank God no one was hurt and everything worked out beautifully,” Oliner said. “We were hit harder than most villages.”
  • The village board had to skip a number of agenda items on abstracts, new hires and appointments because two trustees said they were not given the proper information in their trustee packets.
    “We’re called into a meeting tonight and asked to make a decision on the spot,” Mael said. “It’s unreasonable to ask us for decisions on things we have no information about.”
    In response, Oliner said “You have a tendency toward hyperbole.”
  • A local resident raised a possible safety danger on the intersection of Rosalind Place and Central Avenue, where he said drivers have to come out onto the road to check for oncoming traffic.
    “If you remove two spots, that can absolve the danger,” said Adam Bersoff. “You really can’t see traffic coming from the left.”
  • The village board also fielded a possible new regulation about hosting parties in homes, which according to a resident, creates an unsafe traffic situation.
    “These events put people in substantial risk of danger,” said Joseph Fein.
    Fein suggested that hosts seek permits from the village, which would then post no parking signs on one side of the streets near the party. This would ease congestion, according to Fein.
    But Oliner pointed out that it might be a tough regulation to enforce, since nobody is forcing the host to seek a permit. Fragin said that the village is also in the process of measuring its streets.
    “We have streets that are not made for two-sided parking,” he said. Referring to a recent party, Fragin said, “It was definitely a traffic nightmare.”
  • Golf balls have apparently been striking one local resident’s house and causing damage, and in one case, a flying golf ball struck his wife and injured her.
    “Two holes were moved — that did not fix the problem,” said Nelson Schmukler. “There is perpetual danger of people being struck by golf balls.”
    He suggested the village put up netting, but another resident said that would be an eyesore.
    Fein, the resident in attendance, said the problem could be resolved by moving the tee box so golfers won’t hit the balls towards houses.
    Oliner said the village’s golf architect would look into the problem, which needs to be dealt with “expeditiously.”
  • The National Council of Jewish Women was given permission to hang a banner marking its 75th anniversary on a village poll by its store, pending an insurance and safety review.


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