Piles of storm debris branches waiting for removal have made driving some Montclair streets treacherous. A reader writes of an unfortunate experience on Upper Mountain Avenue this weekend:
While I was driving on Upper Mountain ave, a police officer was speeding up from behind me and violently passed me. The police officer was not really the issue. What was the issue was that as I had to come to a stop on the right hand side of the road, my entire car was scratched from front to back on the passenger side because there were branches sticking out into the road. I was absolutely horrified with the amount of damage that that my car had. I received an unfortunate quote from my car dealership of $1500 in damages.
After speaking with someone in purchasing in the Municipal department, the reader learned that she needs to file a claim, which she intends to do. If the town does not accept the claim, she will have to pay out of pocket for the damages. We’ve reached out to the town for additional comment. Have you had trouble driving around Montclair’s debris?
No harm should go uncompensated
I just wrote about this very topic on my FB page, from a West Orange perspective. From MY perspective, no one seems to shiv a git. I called the Dept of Works, spoke to someone 2 weeks ago who said, “we know about the problem.” To date? Nada. Not even a robocall to say, “We’re working on it.” I am not calling again but I am thinking about writing a letter to the editor of the WO Chronicle. I did post something to the West Orange page on FB and it was removed. Nice going. How’s that transparency in government thing working out for you?
It IS a big problem, as illustrated above, especially at night when the piles are difficult to see and maneuver around. If your street happens to be narrow, good luck. It is also a fire hazard, a health hazard (all the dogs pooping and peeing on the piles), and if it snows, that will compound the whole mess. Is anybody listening out there?
I put responsibility on the property owner.
Debris belongs to the property owner until it is collected. The price for free collection of the storm-related debris should be reasonable maintenance of the pile until it is collected. The curb line should never be violated. Don’t like waiting? Pay someone to take it away.
If a property owner left bulky waste dangerously piled high at the curb’s edge and it fell into the street, became a hazard and caused damage to a passing car, would the logical thing be to submit a claim against the township?
Martta no one is listening, theve been laid off or forced into retirement. If the mayor thought the branches would get in the way of the bike lanes then something would be done no matter the cost to the tax payer.
I’m sorry for the subject of this story. I have a lot of new scrapes on the right side of my car from having to squeeze close to curbside brush piles while avoiding oncoming traffic. (At first I thought someone had “keyed” the car.) My husband thinks he can wax/compound them out; we’ll see, but there’s not much point trying to fix the scratches until the brush piles are removed.
I agree with townie: the piles cannot be in the street. And when they block the sidewalk, it is also very dangerous for pedestrians. People, please pile the brush on your own property! At this time of year, I don’t think your grass will care too much. That said, the town did say it would pick everything up. When is that going to happen?
I live on N. Mountain next to the Georgian Inn and when i come out of the driveway I cant see down the left side of the street as its blocked by a mound full of branches that take up 1/4 of the street. Ill pull out of the driveway and risk getting hit everyday.
Even if I chose to pay someone to take it away, that doesn’t account for my neighbors so this is not a viable solution.
Comparing bulky waste to an act of nature = apples and oranges.
What about the major/county road called Mountain Avenue (that goes from Undercliff to Eagle Rock?? People swerve so wide into the opposite lane. It’s over a month.
The tree branches were never allowed in the streets, and the town should have been ticketing each property in violation beginning in early November. The biggest piles appear to be the work of landscapers, since they’re massive stacks, seemingly beyond the scope of most doughy residents.
The town made a bad call in offering to pick up all this detritus, since they had no idea how much there would be, and people surely took advantage of the opportunity to get summers’ growth carted away free. I ask you: who didn’t add a bit to the pile.
This has been a legitimate safety issue for 5 weeks. No way they’ll be done by the end of the year.
After the storm we got our landscaper to do a yard clean up for us, remove all debris AND cut down a tree (albeit on the smaller side) that was partially ripped up from the storm. The total bill — $65! I couldn’t believe it, we were expecting hundreds. I am not saying the town isn’t responsible (and failing miserably) for picking up the debris, but at this point I think home owners might want to look into removing the stuff themselves or getting a quote. I too have been really worried my car is going to scratched from all these branches lying around, or someone is going to swerve over into the wrong lane to avoid debris and hit me.
You’re telling me the 1% can’t afford to have their debris carted away? What’s that world coming too? try using the “Click-Fix” feature on this website, the alert should go out to your town officials. It works great in GR.
I am not of the 1%.
At any rate, what about big piles on township, county and/or state roads? Whose job is that?
CME, please post your landscaper’s contact info! I don’t think most landscapers would cart away a single branch for only $65!
Has anyone actually seen any town/county vehicles removing any debris for the past few weeks? Perhaps it wouldn’t take so long if they had people doing the job.
Has anyone actually seen any town/county vehicles removing any debris for the past few weeks? Nope
The Boro Glen Ridge made two swipes to pick up branches on all streets in the town within 2 wks of the storm. There are a few piles here and there where neighbors didn’t drag the branches to the street within 2 weeks, but those are the exception, not the rule. Montclair on roads below Eagle Rock are horrible. Was in New Providence last week. That’s worse.
Maybe they’re reading Baristanet- I saw two big trucks picking up debris as I drove south on Upper Mountain towards Bradford around 3 PM
Meant north.
“Has anyone actually seen any town/county vehicles removing any debris for the past few weeks?”
—yes—they are out every Saturday, all day long…
…course, for some here, if they don’t see it themselves, it never happened…
Bloomfield has really been on top of the post-storm-debris cleanup.
The six foot-high pile of branches I deposited curbside on the Sunday and Monday following the storm were gone without a trace when I got home from work that Tuesday night.
On several occasions since I have seen Bloomfield Public Works trucks piled high with branches on their way to where ever it is they dump them.
This has been one of the few occasions on which I felt that I received exceptional service commensurate with the exceptional level of property taxes I pay here.
It’s funny–before I read this today, I was thinking: Wow! If (when) we have a big snowstorm, we’re in trouble. Places like Wildwood and Gordonhurst are really going to suffer. I cannot imagine how plows and cars will navigate during a storm. And I have seen ONE truck in about a week. (And, yes, I am generally conscious on the weekend, and they haven’t been around then, either.)
MY car was also scratched on Upper Mountain! Was wondering if it was the town’s fault OR the home owner’s!?!? Scratched my new little car from front to back. So mad!
Stuff was getting picked up on S. Mountain today.
When I see a big pile of branches out into the street & oncoming car or cars… I STOP and I wait for the oncoming vehiclews to pass and then I go.
Yes, the jerks will blow their horns at me…so what ? Better than having my car scratched.
Sandy, I do too (now!). But, when the damage was done to my car….it was night and some areas of UM are very dark. There was an oncoming car and my brights were not on. I heard the scratching and then realized what had happened. I think the owners are responsible since they had their branches sticking out so FAR! grrrrr
“On several occasions since I have seen Bloomfield Public Works trucks piled high with branches on their way to where ever it is they dump them.”
Upper Mountain Avenue in Montclair, of course.
“Comparing bulky waste to an act of nature = apples and oranges.”
I politely disagree. Nature did not pile the debris so that overflows into the street and nature does not actively ignore it day after day hoping the township crews will pass by and clean it up.
Property owners, or their hired hands, placed these branches where they rest today, mostly dragging them from parts of their yards. Yes it is work and if one is physically unable, or doesn’t own a saw, or can’t afford to have it removed, asking for help from an able, better-equipped neighbor is a responsibility.
The announcement that the township would remove the debris is here: https://bit.ly/ufWPTk. In part it reads “Residents whose debris is blocking traffic or causing other safety issues must move it away from the streets and sidewalks. Those who do not comply will be issued a violation notice in accordance with Township Ordinance 292-2.”
I wonder if any violations have been issued.
$65??? You’re kidding, right? I’ve called 4 tree services and was told by two of them that I have to wait until January to get an estimate. The one estimate for removing the tree pieces in my back yard (rather large pieces) is $1750, not including removing the remainder of the tree. The removal would start around mid-January. I am supposed to get a second estimate this week.
I understand that these guys are busy and I’ll have to wait my turn. I get annoyed when I see homeowners who just moved it all to the street and expect the town to get rid of it ASAP!
townie is right on the money!
Start writing up homeowners and I bet folks will be more conscientious of drivers, pedestrians and, you know, the ordinance.
I have no tolerance for homeowners who make 7′ high piles. Like snow/ice on a sidewalk– it’s a danger to all, and thus— FINE THEM!!
And as a happy member of the 1%, yes, we pay folks, which is why I make sure to tell them: “DON’T MAKE THE PILES TOO HIGH!!”
oliver, in less your hubby is a professional in car recondition, and have professional grade product, he will probably make it worse. You do not want to use a gritty product. If in the wrong hands, the user can rub the paint off. I would strongly urge you to take it to “Personal Touch” Automotive Detailing @ # 137 Walnut St.., Montclair and show it to ERIC !
You can tell him the SANDY sent you to him. He & I go back 30 years !
Eric can make it as good as it can be made. I have 4 “Show-Cars” and during Winter months only he touches them -IF they should go out (seldom, if ever)…
From the photo, it looks as though that’s a part of Upper Mountain that is not privately owned. Looks like Mountainside, which is owned by Essex County. I walk by the Iris Gardens a few times a week and in front of the house there are piles that cover the sidewalk, the curb and part of the street.
Re: Jerseygurl: The spot where the accident was is closer to the Iris Gardens, but the rubbish of trees was on private property. I will not disclose the house number, but it was in the mid 200’s. I did consider taking pictures of the house and the property, but wasn’t sure if that was the right thing to do at this point.
I did see a crew working on Undercliff Road last week but not sure if they were town or private. That part of the road is better but not all. Mount Prospect Ave on the other side of Eagle Rock is still terrible. Upper Mountain and Mountain Ave still suck.
Folks on Bellevue Avenue had an interesting answer. While driving up from Broad Street the other day I saw residents dragging branches across the street and throwing them into Brookdale Park.
@Dane, I would have called the police on the people dumping their branches in the park. There have been crews visible lately, but no way of knowing if they are private, or contracted by the town. It is my understanding that the town has only ONE chipper, and contracts with local tree crews for the bulk of the work. To state the obvious, this is clearly inadequate. Perhaps some of the money that that the town had slated toward new garbage trucks, etc., could have been more wisely allocated toward chippers, since we have a recurring need for such work and hiring private contractors must be ridiculously expensive. Remember, the town is responsible for roadside trees, their maintenance and removal. With only a single chipper, we can’t perform the simplest pruning activities. If we have DPW employees on the payroll, they might as well be productively employed. The response to this storm damage has been disgraceful, and once it snows we can forget about additional removal until the spring.
Is there a place in MTC here residents can haul their own branches?