Mountainside Common
Beautiful Mountainside
A final rendering of Mountainside Common, the new town park at the intersection of Mountain Avenue and New Providence Road was presented to the Mayor and Town Council at the August 15th public council meeting by Beautiful Mountainside, a local non-profit dedicated to beautifying and enhancing our the Brough of Mountainside.
This draft comes after much input from more than five years of work on this project. The two lots were empty for over 15 years previously and were long an eyesore in our downtown. The purchase of this property was made possible from a Green Acres grant and funds from the sale of the Barnes Tract preventing unwanted development in the heart of our downtown, adding a bit of parking, and providing a new gathering place for residents. We hope everyone is pleased with the work as it is a culmination of input from the Mayor, Town Council, Beautiful Mountainside, and input from countless people in town.
We feel this is the right mix for a unique property at a very busy intersection. We wanted to keep the area as green as possible but also provide a small gathering place central to our downtown and we feel this rendering does just that.
The project will be done in four phases as we anticipate grants for all or most of the construction. Phase One (the purchase) and Phase Two (the clean-up) were both completed last year. Phase Three will be the construction of just the corner of the property including sidewalks and matching street lighting. This will give us the time we need for Phase Four, the detailed design and construction plans for the rest of the Common for which we will be seeking additional grant funds.
The public is invited for input, and it will be presented again at the September 19th public Council meeting at Town Hall. A blow up of the plan is currently available at Town Hall for viewing by the public.
