Letter to the Editor From Short Hills Association

Date: July 16, 2012

The Short Hills Association supports the Millburn-Short Hills group Residents for Traffic Safety (www.residentsfortrafficsafety.org) in their efforts to limit the truck and vehicle traffic on Millburn Avenue that will result from the proposed Stop and Shop supermarket on the former Saks Fifth Avenue property.

Stop and Shop received Springfield Township approval to build a highway-sized supermarket with only four loading docks (Kings on Morris Avenue has six). Springfield has forbidden truck access to the property from the existing Morris Avenue driveway as a noise abatement policy for the neighbors. Therefore, the eastern Millburn Avenue entrance is the only access and egress for trucks using the loading dock. If loading dock space is not available trucks will be required to circle or wait. Trucks turning onto Millburn Avenue from Morris Avenue will cause traffic to back up owing to the narrow turn space, especially from westbound Morris Avenue. Student safety and vehicle access at the St. Rose and Millburn High schools will be critical concerns when traffic clogs Millburn and Short Hills Avenues.

The Millburn Zoning Board on August 6th will continue to hear the Stop and Shop request for a variance to establish a left-turn lane for westbound customers at the future traffic light to be installed at the Baltusrol Way corner.

The Short Hills Association proposes that Millburn and Springfield Township officials meet with Stop and Shop representatives to discuss traffic solutions so that Millburn does not bear this traffic burden while Springfield collects the property taxes from the proposed Stop and Shop. For instance, truck traffic could enter from the Morris Avenue or Millburn Avenue driveways and be restricted according to truck size and hour of day or night.

We urge residents to attend the Millburn Township Zoning Board hearing August 6th at Town Hall, at 7 pm. The public may speak about traffic issues since the Stop and Shop Traffic Engineer will be presenting his case.

Eleanor Wallen,
President, Short Hills Association Ellie@07078.org 973-379-7131