Phillipsburg High School design sparks concerns about traffic, parking patterns

LOPATCONG TWP. | The isolated location of the new Phillipsburg High School could pose problems with traffic, parking and emergency vehicle access, officials said Wednesday during a township planning board meeting.

For the first time since 2002, the township planning board received a glimpse of the building plans for the proposed building off Belvidere Road. The meeting was a courtesy to the planning board, which cannot demand any changes to the state-run project.

Among the most pressing concerns was adequate emergency vehicle access.

Jeffery Szabo, of Manalapan, N.J.-based CMX Engineering, said the road's width of 35 feet provides "adequate two-way traffic with ease." Lopatcong Fire Department Chief Tom Nigro countered that 40-foot ladder trucks could have trouble navigating the steep hairpin turn in the access road.

With no road access to the far southeastern portion of the building, Nigro also said emergency equipment could have difficulty reaching that area. Architect Jeff Venezia, with New Brunswick, N.J.-based Design Ideas Group, said the building is fully equipped with a sprinkler system.

Following the meeting, Nigro said his trucks would be able to reach from the closest parking lot, though he'd prefer nearer access.

"It's not a showstopper for us," he said. "It's just in an ideal world it would be nice to have that."

Planning board officials voiced skepticism that 600 parking spaces in the remote location would suffice for big events.

Phillipsburg Assistant Superintendent George Chando said the original high school's plans called for only 250 spaces. He said about 125 students and a maximum of 150 faculty members have permits at the current location.

For heavily attended events, Chando said, shuttle buses could be used, but on a daily school day the parking would be sufficient.

The school's single driveway, running three-quarters of a mile to Belvidere Road, concerned board member Fred France. He asked school officials how they would respond to wrecks blocking the entry.

"In all honesty, we'll have to do what we do now," Phillipsburg Superintendent Mark B. Miller said. "But there'd probably be some delays."

Crashes on Memorial Parkway can back up traffic at the existing school, he said, but local police and school security do their best to clear the way as quickly as possible.

Neil Mapp, the project manager for the New Jersey Schools Development Authority, assured the planning board that previously discussed improvements are planned to accommodate traffic around the school. Mapp said traffic studies are scheduled to evaluate the area's needs.