Politics & Government

Highland and Sinclair Crosswalk to Remain, Petition to Change Location Submitted With Over 300 Names

Residents and Council engage in passionate debate on crosswalk location.

The proposed crosswalk for Highland Avenue and Sinclair Place will remain in the location currently proposed and the town will study the potential of placing a crossing guard at the intersection. The decision followed a sometimes heated debate during Tuesday evening's Town Council meeting.

The decision to keep the new crosswalk, across Highland, in the same location was agreed to by the Council, with Mayor Andy Skibitsky directing the Council's public safety committee to study the crossing guard issue, came after local residents presented a petition calling for the location to be moved to the other side of the intersection and engaging in a debate with the Council on the subject.

Brian and Karen Karnofsky, local residents who live next to the proposed crosswalk, submitted a petition signed by over 300 people to the Council. The petition asked the Council to delay the decision on placing the crosswalk and bring in an outside safety consultant to review the proposal. The Karnofskys emerged last week as leaders of a movement to change the proposed crosswalk location. The location abuts the couple's driveway and they expressed concern that the location could be dangerous to children with cars backing out of their driveway along with making turns off of Sinclair. They have proposed moving the crosswalk 23 feet to the other side of Sinclair, a location which will continue to abut their property. They have also proposed placing a crosswalk across Highland at the intersection with Colonial Avenue.

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The town defends the location, saying that students walking to nearby Franklin Elementary School will need to end up on the same side of the street as the proposed crosswalk and this will allow it.

One of the concerns the Karnofskys brought up last week, about a relocated utility pole which they said would be a blind spot for someone backing out of their driveway. Town Administrator Jim Gildea said the utility pole will be able to be moved to a location on the other side of the sidewalk and out of the line of sight of the driveway.

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The debate between the Council, the Karnofskys and several other residents from the Gardens neighborhood became passionate at times, with both sides trying to stress their points. Gildea noted that he grew up next to the Karnofskys' house and said the couple's driveway has been a "de facto crosswalk" for many years. He said that the proposed crosswalk would be safer since drivers would have more warning about the pedestrian nature of the street.

"It's safety first, convenience second," Mr. Karnofsky said.

Mrs. Karnofsky said the petition quickly filled up with names since she first put it out on Saturday morning. The petition could be signed on the couple's porch, along with petition carriers seeking signatures at various locations in Stop n' Shop, 7-11 and Shop Rite in Garwood. Her husband said many who signed expressed shock about the location.

"The majority of the people cannot get over this decision," Mr. Karnofsky said.

The couple noted they recently consulted with Patrica Ott, director of traffic education and safety for the state transportation department, and said she agreed with them on questioning why the crosswalk is being placed next to an active driveway. Ott is not familar with Westfield and the specifics of the intersection, beyond what was explained to her by the Karnofskys.

"She said that the crosswalk should never be placed next to a driveway when there are other alternatives," Mr. Kanofsky said.

Council Public Safety Committee Chairman Mark Ciarrocca stressed the town is following the advice of the professional staff in placing the crosswalk where it is proposed. He noted that state transportation officials recently sent in a private consultant who the councilman said concurred with the proposed location.

"We have considered all other locations and every traffic safety professional said the location is the correct location," he said.

The Karnofskys were joined by several other residents of the neighborhood, who expressed concern about the safety of the intersection and the proposed location of the crosswalk. This includes a sewer grate at the corner across from the Karnofskys' driveway that would be at the other side of the proposed crosswalk. Town Engineer Kris McAloon, during an interview following the Council meeting, said the sewer grate would remain in the same location and the new crosswalk would not end in the grate but rather to the left of the grate (if facing from the other side of the street) and end in the crosswalk across Sinclair.

One concern cited was what residents said was an incident today when three Franklin students were almost hit by a car while crossing Highland at the site of the proposed crosswalk. The opponents of the crosswalk location said the students had to go into traffic to see around parked cars and were almost hit. Ciarrocca said this should not happen with the crosswalk in place since state law forbids parking within 25 feet of a crosswalk, noting the town can extend this if needed.

"It is a terrible, terrible spot for kids to cross," neighborhood resident Jayne Summers said.

At one point during the debate, Ciarrocca explained his thought process on the intersection, noting he has family living on Colonial Avenue.

"I have no other interest in that area than to do the right thing for the kids living there, including my niece and nephew," he said.

 


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