In a five to one vote, officials approved the construction of a bridge over Tenakill Brook that would allow for easier access from the Closter trail to the Demarest trail system.
Councilwoman Cynthia Tutoli cast the lone opposing vote.
The topic has generated much discussion lately and a plea by Environmental Commission members was one of the latest efforts to get the bridge built. Chairman David Scholz and Richard Ryan said the bridge would encourage residents of all ages to use the borough’s trails.
The vote in favor of the construction was cast despite council members’ initial reluctance to approve the bridge. When the topic was raised months ago, some members had cited potential adverse environmental impact and redundancy as their reasons for opposing it. A roadway bridge exists 500 feet downstream, a reason some residents voiced opposition to construction.
Resident Don Farrell questioned "why this bridge makes sense" given the Durie Avenue bridge is hundreds of feet away.
However, he was outnumbered by residents who favored staying in the woods to cross the stream.
"To go from the trail to the street and over a car bridge is not taking a walk in nature," said Janet MacDonald.
Now Closter will use the $120,000 Bergen County Open Space matching grant it received for the trail system to fund the bridge’s construction. The bridge is expected to total $100,000, half of which Closter Open Space funds will pay for as it matches the county portion. The remaining funds will pay engineering and permitting costs as well as construction of two other bridges on part of the trail, Heymann said.
