Residents bemoan unsightly conditions
Buildings, overgrown vegetation, DeVoe Lake part of discussion
BY VINCENT TODARO Staff Writer

SPOTSWOOD - Residents and borough officials agreed Monday to see if anything can be done to combat problems with unsightly properties in town.

Residents who spoke during the Borough Council meeting said they are concerned about problems with homes and buildings sitting boarded up, overgrown grass and bushes crowding sidewalks, and trees not being trimmed. The residents asked officials to do something about the unsightliness.

Frank Kardashian, a former Board of Education president in Spotswood, told the council that the idea of going after a few negligent property owners will not do the trick on its own. Instead, the borough should get a group together to look at more effective means of addressing the issue, he said, noting that whatever is done should not impact the tax rate.

Councilman James Shearn recommended that the council create an ad-hoc committee to look into the issues.

Another longtime resident, James Farley, said he is dismayed at the number of boarded-up buildings, naming places on DeVoe Avenue and Snowhill Street as examples.

Council President Curtis Stollen said there isn't anything the town can do about buildings on private property that are boarded up, unless code violations exist. Farley also said that when he takes walk, he notices a prevalence of overgrown bushes. He said there is even a poison ivy bush taking up about a third of the sidewalk width on a road near the borough's first-aid building.

Stollen said that is an area the borough has tried to clean up. The borough has even sought to have a path cleared to the dam.

Farley said there are homes on Mundy Avenue and DeVoe Avenue where trees and branches have grown over the sidewalks.

"No one goes out there with an edger," he said.

Mayor Barry Zagnit said the problems brought up by Farley are code enforcement issues, and Councilman Thomas Barlow noted that the borough's code enforcement officer is part time and cannot possibly be aware of all violations. Increasing his workload would also increase expenses, Barlow noted.

Kardashian said he visits other towns and does not see the overgrowth and number of boarded-up buildings as seen in Spotswood.

Shearn responded that Kardashian should alert the borough and provide addresses of the properties that could be in violation.

Kardashian volunteered to look for ways to address the lack of code enforcement, and the council was receptive to his plea.

"The five of us are not here to come up with every idea," Barlow said.

"You have to want to do this for the benefit of the town," Kardashian said.

Farley brought up DeVoe Lake, saying it is in dire need of a makeover.

"The lake does not look like a lake anymore," he told the council.

Stollen said he wants to explore alternative methods for getting rid of all the vegetation in the lake. Shearn said the only real solution to the lake's problems is dredging, but that's an expensive proposition.

The lake was much deeper about 20 years ago, but construction at and around the Immaculate Conception school and church caused changes in the area, resulting in the lake losing depth, Shearn said. He acknowledged that the lake is an "eyesore," but said he is opposed to using taxpayer money to rehabilitate a lake that is only enjoyed by those who live near it.

Zagnit said the borough has been trying since 1996 to do something to remedy the problems at no taxpayer expense. Part of the problem is that much of the soil is contaminated, but another is that officials feel a greater obligation to use the town's scarce funds to fix the water system.

The borough has searched for a contractor who would dredge the lake in return for being able to keep the soil, Zagnit said, but there have been no takers to date.

Shearn noted that lowering the level of water would bring about some flooding relief in the area during heavy rainstorms.

According to Farley, bringing the lake back to life would not just be a boon for nearby residents, but would benefit the entire town. He recalled that a number of activities were held at the lake when it was in better condition.