Dear Oakland ResidentsThis winter has already been long and cold, and like many of you, I am looking forward to the arrival of spring. As we approach Groundhog Day, we remain hopeful for an early end to the season. Spring is always a time of renewal, bringing life back from winter’s slumber.Oakland, too, is experiencing a season of renewal. After years of anticipation, several long-awaited infrastructure projects are finally underway. The progress we are seeing marks an exciting time for our community and, for me, an espe...
Dear Oakland Residents
This winter has already been long and cold, and like many of you, I am looking forward to the arrival of spring. As we approach Groundhog Day, we remain hopeful for an early end to the season. Spring is always a time of renewal, bringing life back from winter’s slumber.
Oakland, too, is experiencing a season of renewal. After years of anticipation, several long-awaited infrastructure projects are finally underway. The progress we are seeing marks an exciting time for our community and, for me, an especially exciting time to serve as your Mayor. I closely monitor our advancements daily and am pleased with the work being done. I also want to extend my sincere gratitude to our Council Members and Borough staff—their dedication and teamwork continue to benefit our entire community.
We are currently finalizing this year’s road program, which we plan to introduce at the February Council meeting. Once the plan is approved, the bid package will be issued, and paving work will begin in the spring.
Yawpo Avenue is included in our paving plans. Additionally, we are working with the NJ DOT to finalize details for the entire length of the project, including sidewalk improvements at the bottom of the roadway, as this work falls under a separate grant. We anticipate the completion of the project in late spring.
Weather conditions have posed challenges for the Patriots Way Bridge project, but I’m pleased to report that crews returned to the site on January 6th. Since then, significant progress has been made, including the installation of stringers, cross braces and ongoing construction of the Timber walkway.
I’d also like to take a moment to recognize a very special Oakland resident. Mrs. Breen celebrated her 102nd birthday on January 26th with a gathering at the Oakland Care Center, joined by her family and Assemblyman Auth. It was a wonderful celebration, and I was honored to present her with a proclamation on behalf of the citizens of Oakland.
As many of you know, the State of New Jersey has mandated Affordable Housing requirements on municipalities, including Oakland. Your Mayor and Council have worked diligently to comply with these regulations while preserving the character of our community. On January 28th, we passed the required resolution for the Round 4 Affordable Housing obligation. It is important to understand that these requirements are imposed by the State, not at the local level. Initially, the Department of Community Affairs (DCA) projected Oakland’s obligation to be 306 units based on state mapping. However, after careful review, our planner identified mapping errors that significantly inflated the count.
Several properties required further evaluation, so our engineer and I personally inspected the areas in question. As a result, our analysis resulted in a reduction in the DCA’s numbers, reducing Oakland’s obligation to 252 Units. This reduced obligation is subject to review through February 28, 2025.
As we continue making progress in key areas of infrastructure and planning, I look forward to keeping you updated on the work being done to improve our town. Thank you for your continued support and engagement in our community’s future.
Best Regards,Eric Kulmala, Mayor