Spring has sprung...and at this time of year, the River Road Improvement Corporation (RRIC) "springs forward" with an expansion of a maintenance program now in its third year.

The RRIC began to supplement the public and private sectors own efforts at the maintaining the district when the RRIC saw the opportunity to expand the services provided to borough's taxpayers at an even higher level as a result of the partnership between the borough and the district to offer the higher level of maintenance needed to maintain the completed Streetscape Improvement Project which included brick pavers, new trees and new planting areas and planters.

While the Borough continued the twice weekly streetsweeping efforts it routinely undertakes along River Road and private owners retained the responsibility for maintaining the landscaping of their own properties, neither party was able to provide consistent level of maintenance for the new improvements.

As a result weeds were growing around the trees and up through the pavers, the planters were not being routinely weeded and dead plants replaced and in general after one season of deferred care and numerous concerns expressed by district owners and borough residents, the RRIC stepped up to the plate and began its own maintenance program. In the three years since, the program has developed a more structured approach to addressing various maintenance tasks and has, this year, added several new elements.

The RRIC has worked with a local landscaping firm, American Nursery of Fair Lawn, to employ two workers who do a comprehensive survey of the area's property upkeep needs one day a week.

Both workers wear bright orange safety vests aprons with the RRIC's logo and name. Each worker carefully reviews the conditions throughout the district and identify plants which require replacement. Both likewise hand sweep the district removing any visible litter or dirt along the sidewalk area. All weeds in the planting areas and plants are removed; all plants - as needed - are watered weekly.

New this year, trees are inspected and dead branches trimmed; trees that have died are removed and the Borough - with the responsibility for replacing trees - notified. All litter containers are moved and the area under each cleaned; the litter container is also cleaned of internal debris.

Employing this comprehensive approach on a weekly basis, the districts 44 decorative planters and 40 litter containers as well as the 3/4 mile long streetscape improvement area are maintained.

The district itself - as opposed to the residents of Fair Lawn, - directly finance this initiative.

"One of the features of a special improvement district is to invest revenues, collected from the participating property owners,back into programs which support and improve the district," explained former mayor Robert Gordon, an RRIC board member and one of its original founders. "This is an excellent example of such a reinvestment."

Irv Kleinberg, owner of Amber Cyclery, who also sits on the board of the organization and a fixture on River Road since 1961, noted that the corporation and contractor carefully reviewed American Nursery's experiences last year in trying to improve upon the program.

"We have developed a more coordinated approach and we believe it is working very well," said Kleinberg, "This year, we have things down pat and as a result we've cleaned things up even better."

Russ Sandberg, American Nursery's owner, said hopes are high that the area will "bloom" even further via adding flowers to the planters. Last year, they featured only shrubs. "We will grow summer flowers, though we haven't decided just what kind we will use yet," said Sandberg, speaking in late May.

Doug Carlson, co-owner of Carlson Brothers Roofing and an RRIC board member explained that the selected flowers will be varieties which can withstand heat, and do not need constant watering

"Last year, we refrained from planting flowers because of the statewide drought restrictions," he explained.

Thus, this year's summertime shopping experience will undoubtedly be warmer, but far prettier.

"It's going wonderfully," Carlson said of the effort.. "The crew is working very hard, and is really improving the area through measures such as sweeping and putting down mulch."

Mayor Davild L. Ganz praised the property and business owners for acting on their own in devising the beautification program - removing a potential burden on the borough.

"All of us in the municipal government are delighted with the public-private partnership between the River Road Improvement Corporation and local government" said Ganz, whose municipality cooperates with the RRIC in other matters, including efforts to develop a cooperative parking program.

"The use of special improvement district funding. to beautify the district, is precisely what should be done," the mayor continued. "The results speak for themselves, and are a beautiful sight indeed."

Carlson said having the business and commercial property owners collectively employ a contractor, rather than taking up the task individual, makes perfect sense. He cited the benefits of having the district bargain for pricing as a unified whole rather than each owner attempting to do it on their own.

"Having merchants directly do something like this doesn't always work," Carlson explained. "It would be difficult in this particular area, because for one thing, you have a large lunchtime high school crowd which generates a good deal of litter."

Sandberg attributed the conditions to simple carelessness, and said he feels the area has ample receptacles if those visiting the district would simply use them.

"We really work very hard in trying to keep the entire area clean, and in providing a good quality program." said Sandberg, who also cited the students as major contributors to the litter problem.

Felix Belferman, owner of both B&B International Foods and the Farmer's Market on River Road explained that, before devising its own comprehensive emaintenance program, the corporation initially wanted to improve area curbing and sidewalks.

This goal was achieved once the RRIC received federal funds to tear out and replace the older infrastructure.

"I know that we worked very hard in trying to get this right, and I believe we have succeeded," said Todd Malkin, a local resident who serves on an RRIC committee. "I've seen a definite difference over the last two years. The money is well spent."