Rose: Path Behind School Needs Lights

An application for a connecting the Mt. Pleasant Villas complex to  was approved July 28 by the township council, despite concerns about lighting for the path.

By a 3-1 margin, the council voted to apply for the grant from the Regional Center Partnership, a joint planning group for Bridgewater, Somerville and Raritan.

The sole dissenting vote was cast by councilwoman Christine Henderson Rose, who expressed concerns that lighting should be installed along the 850-foot path to increase safety.

"I still have concerns, I'm sorry," Rose said in casting in her vote. "I still want lights."

Township administrator Robert Bogart said it would cost $9,000 to install the lights. He added that the path, like those in other neighborhoods around schools, do not have lights and are intended only to be used during the day.

The cost of the lights is not included in the grant application.

Council President Howard Norgalis said there are 28 Adamsville pupils who live in the Mt. Pleasant Villas complex and that money could possibly be saved by building the path because students are currently bused to the school because of hazardous traffic conditions along Finderne and Union avenues.

The township had applied for the grant in 2010, but did not receive it. Bogart said the school district agreed to the path a year ago, and said there was "no reason to think" that the school district would not agree to the path application this year.

Deputy clerk Hector Herrera said the township had been notified that the school district would take responsibility for maintaining the path, including shoveling snow.

Though the lights would have been powered by solar panels, Norgalis  said there was the possibility that there would not be enough daylight during the winter months to fully charge the lights.

Most of the path would be in an open area and would be visible to school officials.