New plan allows Demarest Farm customers to park on side streets
Demarest Farms, located in Hillsdale, has recently agreed upon parking on side streets. This agreement will only last for three years and then they must decide on a varying parking option.
The Bergen County Agriculture Development Board voted on a plan that would temporarily lift a parking ban around Demarest Farms on Sept. 6. Customers are now allowed to park on residential streets near the farm for the next three years.
Demarest Farms authorized parking on the side streets two years ago. Very quickly, residents of Hillsdale who lived on and near the customer parking side streets became bothered over the situation.
It wasn’t until recently that the board proposed an arrangement that would allow customers to park on the residential streets surrounding the farm. This has increased business by permitting more customer parking, but has also made residents feel anger towards the farm.
Local residents and property owners by the farmlands have reported complaints that customers from Demarest Farms are walking on their property and littering.
“There are people who park up and down my street and walk around with no respect for anyone’s personal property,” said Frank Lorusso, a Hillsdale resident living on a local side street that allows farm parking. “There are hundreds of people walking in the street who are making it difficult to navigate through them. I do not like this side street parking, but do not get me wrong, the farm is a great place. They just need to figure out the situation with parking.”
Many residents are not bothered by the parking as long as customers are not trespassing on their property. However, a group was formed by a handful of residents who want the farm to close.
“I do not really care about people parking in the streets,” said Mitchell Jones, a resident living on one of the side streets used by the farm. “As long as nobody disrespects mine or anyone else’s property, I do not mind the parking.”
In three years, once the street parking plan expires, it will be Demarest Farms’ responsibility to find additional parking. This could include buying a parking lot off site or using an existing lot at the Bureau of Motor Vehicles or Klynveld Peat Marwick Goerdeler (KPMG) headquarters in Woodcliff Lake.
