Merchants upset with Tanner Street project?

Wendy Kates, owners of Stardust Memories on Tanner Street, sent a letter to the Haddonfield Sun this weekend that she mailed to Todd Day, an engineer with Remington and Vernick, detailing several aspects of the Tanner Street reconstruction project that several business owners on the street were unhappy with.

Terrie Murphy, an employee of Joe Murphy’s office at 30 Tanner Street, sent the letter as well with an addendum identifying a part of the sidewalk in front of the office that was unsafe.

Here is the letter in full:

Dear Todd,

I spoke with many of the merchants on Tanner Street on Saturday and we are not happy about the way this project is going. It has impacted us tremendously and we do not know if we can survive this construction financially. None of the promises made by the contractor have been kept and no one has considered us in any phase of this under taking. I had to close for two days because they did concrete in such a way I could not access my front door. It was a Friday and Saturday, my busiest days.

In your Aug. 5 update you stated that the street was cleaned up by the contractor for the sidewalk sale. I am in the first block from Kings Hwy. and the sidewalk sale ended up making all of the residents and merchants sick from the dirt and debris left in the street every time a car would go by and kick up a dust storm. It is absolutely disgraceful the way this street has been left for weeks. I am out there every day sweeping to try to contain the debris into the curbs. Are you not over seeing this project? Where were you when they concreted the strip up near Kings Hwy where trees and grass are supposed to be planted. Is any one in charge? Have you come out to inspect the filthy condition of our street? It is outrageous and unacceptable.

The second block by Archer & Greiner’s parking lot has been torn up for weeks with no visible progress. I was there on Friday and there was no one working on the street. Can you explain this? We all want to know what the hell is going on. What and who is responsible for this delay.

We see no progress and we fear this project will not be completed by Labor Day as promised. We have all been extremely patient and understanding but it is time for clear answers and a serious time frame. It is of the upmost importance that you contact me in a timely manner to discuss this so I can relate the information to the other residents and merchants on the street before we band together and decide what we must do next.

Sincerely,

Wendy Kates