Chain link fence at Valley and Tuscan

Does anyone know (or know how to find out) if the new silver chain link fence over the creek at Tuscan and Valley is permanent or just a temporary solution? It replaced an old but attractive iron fence that a tree fell on. I'm pretty sure it's a town fence, not the homeowner's.

Certainly there are bigger fish to fry in the world, but it's just an unattractive option at a pretty visible corner.

Yeah, that chain link fence is horrid. And, a small part of an adjacent wood railing has now been replaced, so there's four different fences at that spot, old wood, new wood, old iron, and chain link. It's pretty bizarre.

How tall is it. I noticed it this weekend and it looked pretty tall at quick glance. Surely it doesn't comply with height restrictions on fencing?

Fences can be higher if they prevent access to a dangerous area such as the river where it crosses Valley Street. Kids in my son's day liked to follow the river under Valley and then emerge in the County Club. I imagine they still do. Problem is that the kids enter the river bed at Tuscan School so the fence really isn't preventing them from doing this.

I thought the same thing when I saw the chain link fence about a week ago. Very ugly.

It's about six feet tall and, if the aesthetics alone aren't bad enough, it has the fence company advertising logo embedded in it.

I took a couple pictures. You can see a section of the original fence still intact behind it. It's decrepit but much lower and much less obtrusive.

I guess I'll call Town Hall tomorrow and try to find out what's the story

Agree that it is a very ugly fence (especially in a town with so many rules about fences!) Wonder if it was put up by the homeowner or the town, and if there's some insurance/liability issue driving its placement.

I does look temporary. Could it just be taking some time to get vendor to replace the original fence?

It looks like three different authorities made repairs, or like a fence store.

I kinda doubt that there would be much hurry in replacing what is a fairly expensive bit of installation when it already accomplishes the safety (first) issue.

Ironically, if you look right across the street there is an old and decrepit span of chain link that runs that entire length of the golf course.

Contact HPC. I know there were some historical fences around there they were looking at. The visually questionable ones are likely temporary for safety reasons.

This has the look of temp coverup after a car crashed into the previous fence

I believe there was a downed tree that took down the original (admittedly old) fence. Also hoping this new set up is temporary, it's quite the eyesore, especially the 4 mixed styles pointed out previously.

Since my first post,I called around and found out that Essex County put up the fence. I spoke with an engineer in the County Public Works Department who told me it was intended to be permanent. But, he didn't know what the intersection or new fence looked like and asked me to send pictures. I did and I also forwarded them to the members of the Township Committee. I heard back right away from two saying they would follow up. Probably wouldn't hurt for others to email also if they don't like the replacement fence.

I'd be happy to, would you mind posting the email addresses you've sent to?

good work! All TC contact info is here, @fastpitch.

http://www.twp.maplewood.nj.us/index.aspx?nid=216

Fromthehill said:
Since my first post,I called around and found out that Essex County put up the fence. I spoke with an engineer in the County Public Works Department who told me it was intended to be permanent. But, he didn't know what the intersection or new fence looked like and asked me to send pictures. I did and I also forwarded them to the members of the Township Committee. I heard back right away from two saying they would follow up. Probably wouldn't hurt for others to email also if they don't like the replacement fence.

Thanks, Archbroad. Those are the emails I used.

I got an update email from the Maplewood Director of Public Works. He spoke with the assistant county engineer and was unsuccessful in getting it changed. He's escalating it to the county engineer and their county Liason. It sounds like th issue is a at the county level. Everyone in Maplewood has been lovely to deal with

Hearing that it was the County that was in charge, I wrote an email to Joseph DiVicenzo. That got forwarded around to the County public works department and I just got back the following response. I had said in my initial email that I knew the county put up different kinds of fencing because they had miles of gorgeous fencing around the new projects in the Reservation. I suggested maybe they had a few extra lengths in stock. Here's the email I got back:

"Thank you for your email on the matter. However, the fence in question is a typical chain link fence we use on all our culvert abutments safety and it is safe for the height and strong enough for damage. The County own almost 500 culverts like this it is impossible to make all of them wrought iron.

The township had sent in your request to us on the same and we have advised them that we have no objection in township or the property owner changing it to wrought iron fence on their own, if they choose to."

This drives me nuts from an urban planning viewpoint. There's no way that a county as big and diverse as Essex County should have some sort of uniform fence policy that doesn't take into account the surroundings. Plus from a money management and risk perspective, how does it make sense to have taxpayers pay for two fences, and then assume the risk of having a private fence on County property?

Perhaps I'm the only malcontent about this fence out there, but if you're so inclined to write an email, the town council emails are:

v.deluca@twp.maplewood.nj.us,
k.leventhal@twp.maplewood.nj.us,
mbrownlee@twp.maplewood.nj.us,
g.ryan@twp.maplewood.nj.us,
ILarrier@twp.maplewood.nj.us

and Joseph DiVicenza is

joedi@admin.essexcountynj.org

Fromthehill said:
Hearing that it was the County that was in charge, I wrote an email to Joseph DiVicenzo.

Perhaps you should have suggested that he could put a picture of his face on the fence.

At the very least, they should spray paint the fence so it is black.

wasn't it chain link before as well?

Google Maps Streetview -

https://www.google.com/maps/@40.726448,-74.274015,3a,75y,122.54h,71.93t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s4C3AwmvErMmVqsu59pi5mQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

It's also the matter of it looking, as FilmCarp said, like a fence store, with 4 different styles. I wonder whether they could address that issue, perhaps not.

Thank you for the follow up, Fromthehill.

Fromthehill said:
Hearing that it was the County that was in charge, I wrote an email to Joseph DiVicenzo. That got forwarded around to the County public works department and I just got back the following response. I had said in my initial email that I knew the county put up different kinds of fencing because they had miles of gorgeous fencing around the new projects in the Reservation. I suggested maybe they had a few extra lengths in stock. Here's the email I got back:
"Thank you for your email on the matter. However, the fence in question is a typical chain link fence we use on all our culvert abutments safety and it is safe for the height and strong enough for damage. The County own almost 500 culverts like this it is impossible to make all of them wrought iron.
The township had sent in your request to us on the same and we have advised them that we have no objection in township or the property owner changing it to wrought iron fence on their own, if they choose to."
This drives me nuts from an urban planning viewpoint. There's no way that a county as big and diverse as Essex County should have some sort of uniform fence policy that doesn't take into account the surroundings. Plus from a money management and risk perspective, how does it make sense to have taxpayers pay for two fences, and then assume the risk of having a private fence on County property?
Perhaps I'm the only malcontent about this fence out there, but if you're so inclined to write an email, the town council emails are:
v.deluca@twp.maplewood.nj.us,
k.leventhal@twp.maplewood.nj.us,
mbrownlee@twp.maplewood.nj.us,
g.ryan@twp.maplewood.nj.us,
ILarrier@twp.maplewood.nj.us
and Joseph DiVicenza is
joedi@admin.essexcountynj.org

Thanks for doing this. Wonder if a compromise would be for the county to provide the fence and the town put it up?

Even if they could "distress" the chain link (i.e. make it brown and rusty looking so as to blend into the background better) that would help. The shiny metal chain link is SO out of place there! And it's ironic that residents can't put up six foot fences but the county can.

It is so odd looking. it's actually a very pretty corner, even if it's super dangerous with all the cars blowing the red lights, etc. The four different fence-type solution is a complete hack job.

Just got an update from Calvin Bell at Maplewood DPW. County will replace it with a wrought iron fence that will be installed by the end of the year. It will occur along with repair work to the culvert.

Yay!

DiVicenzo, his chief of staff and Vic Deluca were all cc:ed, so shout out to them for helping.

I'll be planning a field trip in the new year to our neighborhood County culvert to engage in some recreational fence gazing. Please no one hit me while making that right turn.

I'll be waiting now for an opposition group to form, citing that there wasn't enough public input into this decision and that the process was too rushed and that someone must have been bribed. *sarcasm*

But seriously, good work!

At this point, actually more like months ago, the sarcasm and drumming in many threads regarding the opposition to the ordinary building possibly going up in the village isn't funny. It's time to move on. The building is opposed by many. Bringing it up in other threads is pathetic.

JLJohn said:
At this point, actually more like months ago, the sarcasm and drumming in many threads regarding the opposition to the ordinary building possibly going up in the village isn't funny. It's time to move on. The building is opposed by many. Bringing it up in other threads is pathetic.

I think it's funny. Maybe just try not to let it make you so grumpy.

Not grumpy at all, thanks. Sometimes, things just need to be said in this echo chamber.