Parkway Study
Dear Clark Township,
This is a request for public records made under OPRA and the common law right of access. I am not required to fill out an official form. Please acknowledge receipt of this message.
Records requested:
In the council meeting on 11/21/2022 it was mentioned that there are studies on record that the township of Clark did on additional parkway exits between exits 135 and 131. Can I obtain copies of these studies.
Yours faithfully,
Anonymous Resident
Your request has been received and will be processed in accordance with the Open Public Records Act.
Edith L. Merkel, RMC
Township Clerk
Township of Clark
430 Westfield Ave.
Clark, NJ 07066
(732) 388-3669
WARNING: Email received by or sent to Township officials is subject to the Open Public Records Act [OPRA]. This means that absent some specific privilege, all such communications are considered a public record and are subject to publication and/or dissemination to the public upon request.
To: Anonymous Resident <[OPRA #36716 email]>
From: Edith L. Merkel, Township Clerk, Township of Clark
Re: OPRA request - Parkway Study
Date: November 28, 2022
The Township of Clark received your Open Public Records Act (OPRA) request on November 22, 2022. The official Records Custodian, Edith Merkel, received your OPRA request on November 27, 2022. As such, the seven (7) business day deadline to respond to your request is December 5, 2022. This response to your request is being provided to you on the first business day after the custodian’s receipt of said request.
Your OPRA request (below) sought access to the following:
"In the council meeting on 11/21/2022 it was mentioned that there are studies on record that the township of Clark did on additional parkway exits between exits 135 and 131. Can I obtain copies of these studies."
The file regarding the issue of an additional parkway exit is attached in its entirety. The September 15, 1988 document indicates that the studies were performed by the New Jersey Department of Transportation. The Study is not in the file. These records were created prior to my tenure as Municipal Clerk. My predecessor is deceased and therefore I do not have knowledge beyond the physical file. Also included in the attachment is the contact information for the New Jersey Turnpike Authority which currently has jurisdiction over the Garden State Parkway. You may want to consider sending an OPRA request to that agency. You are also welcome to come to my office and perform an on-site review of the Parkway file.
If your request for access to a government record has been denied or unfilled within the seven (7) business days required by law, you have a right to challenge the decision by the Township of Clark to deny access. At your option, you may either institute a proceeding in the Superior Court of New Jersey or file a complaint with the Government Records Council (GRC) by completing the Denial of Access Complaint Form. You may contact the GRC by toll-free telephone at 866-850-0511, by mail at P.O. Box 819, Trenton, NJ, 08625, by e-mail at [email address], or at their web site at www.state.nj.us/grc. The GRC can also answer other questions about the law. All questions regarding complaints filed in Superior Court should be directed to the Court Clerk in your County.