Letter: TMB Site Will Cause Traffic Problems

To the Editor:

Livingston's Planning Board hearings are reaching their conclusion. The format of the meetings is such that the public will be allowed speak to the board about safety and the like, probably in the next meeting (Thursday, May 31 at 8 p.m.).

South Orange Avenue at the TMB site (the intersection of White Oak Ridge Road) has a well documented history of traffic accidents. TMB's traffic expert made no reference to the history of the site and provided a perfunctory report about waiting times at the intersection and the like. Of course, he concluded that traffic conditions would be better with TMB's 62-unit apartment complex in place than with the Tutor Time day care center now on the site.

Left turns are forbidden from the South Orange Avenue driveway servicing TMB's 50-unit condominium structure. The TMB traffic expert admitted that drivers who wanted to go west (left) from that driveway would have to use neighborhood streets to make u-turns or would loop around through residential areas to reach White Oak Ridge Road and then go west. 

In response to questions about inadequate on-site parking for condominium guests, staff and the like, the Livingston Town Manager stated that Millburn could or would restrict parking on nearby streets. This is outrageous. Livingston acknowledges the inescapable consequences of parking overflow onto Millburn streets as well as the use of these streets as a remedy for TMB's left turn problem. These problems  are apparently not of enough importance to Livingston's governing leadership to require rational or effective solutions. 

Under the terms of their settlement with TMB Partners, Livingston is required to serve as advocates for TMB's dangerous and ill-conceived project. We are concerned that, because of the obvious flaws in this project, TMB will not be able to find enough families dimwitted enough to buy into their delusion and that the structure will remain unsold and derelict.

All these problems can be traced to the fact that this project is just too large for the site.

Leonard Rubin
25 Rippling Brook Dr.
Short Hills, NJ 07078