By Elise Fisch
The Village of Warwick Planning Board met on Tues., June 9 via video conference. The meeting was made accessible to the public through Zoom and Facebook, as social distancing remains a necessary precaution during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The only item open for public comment was the 18 Railroad Ave. project, which includes a proposition for seven one-bedroom apartments and eleven designated parking spaces in the Chase parking lot located on South St.
No comments from the public came in from Facebook or through the office telephone, and it was therefore decided by the Board that the public would have ten days from June 9 to reach out to the Board with a comment. Bob Krahulik, the legal representation for the 18 Railroad proposition, said he believed this to be an important project for Warwick right now, with consideration to the projected influx of residents moving to Warwick from Manhattan, as people seek safe ground from the virus.
Village View Development
The Village View development project, once completed, will be another option in Warwick for incoming residents. A new sewage pump station will be built at Robin Brae, adjacent to the facility that currently exists, to accommodate the incoming housing. The new pump station will be taking over all sewage operations for that area once the construction is complete, and the current pump station at Robin Brae will be decommissioned.
A major concern of the public regarding the Village View development is that of traffic. It is reported by the local residents that cars are known to not only speed down Locust St., but also to run the stop sign at high speeds. Locals who walk through the neighborhood with their children and their dogs fear the increased amount of traffic through the area to Village View will lead to more issues of speeding, which may result in injuries.
Several possible solutions are being considered, those discussed included widening the road on Locust St., or putting up a lit sign that alerts drivers of their speed. Most in attendance at the meeting, including those representing the applicant of the project, believe it to be a matter of enforcement, and the most likely strategy to combat the issue of speeding will be to implement the police force to distribute tickets to those who violate the speed limit.
New Café Coming to Main St.
Despite the challenges that restaurant owners face in the wake of COVID-19, a new café is opening in the Village of Warwick at 31 Main St., the former location of Ye Olde Warwick Book Shoppe. Café e Dolce owners, Keith and Debbie Yodice, already have one successful location in Franklin, NJ, and are eager to be expanding their business to Warwick. The couple hopes to open for business with indoor table service by early July, but the actual date will depend on how Gov. Cuomo decides to handle the reopening phases.
Next Meeting
The next meeting of the Village of Warwick Planning Board will be held on Tues., July 14, at 7:30 p.m. via video conference.
