Demarest Farms

Town officials will close municipal streets around Demarest Farms on weekends to curb the number of cars who invade the neighborhood.

(Fausto Giovanny Pinto)

HILLSDALE -- Residents and borough officials in this North Jersey community have said they have had it with the throngs of people who invade their neighborhood to go pumpkin picking at Demarest Farms.

Locals say every weekend, from Labor day to the first weekend in November, they are inundated with more than 1,000 cars which park in front of their homes, raising safety concerns and bringing a host of other problems.

On Tuesday, citing the dangerous condition caused by the volume of traffic, the borough council passed a resolution to close all municipal streets west of Pascack Road on selected weekends.

"The farm is creating serious safety concerns for both its patron and the residents. It simply can not handle the number or volume of traffic that its marketing efforts have attracted," council member John Rucco said at the meeting. "It is a victim of its own success and is victimizing the nearby residents."

Dozens of residents, part of the 250-member Save our Streets resident's group, who attended Tuesday's meeting cheered after Mayor Douglas Frank read the full resolution.

"The is the first time in two years that they [borough] have done anything about this," said Glen Hook Road resident Larry Spervor.

Under the resolution, the police department will place emergency no parking signs on all municipal roads west of Pascack Road from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. for the next three weekends. Not even guests of residents will be allowed to park on the street, according to the resolution. County and borough police will be stationed at various intersections.

Farm co-owner and ex-council member Jason DeGise had no comment when asked about the resolution Wednesday. He previously told NJ Advance Media that he made a number of changes to improve the parking issue.

"There's a mix still, some residents are happy with it," DeGise said. "We are getting better every year."

Residents say the number of cars parking in front of their homes has steadily increased but jumped when DePeiro's Farm in Montvale closed last year, leaving Demarest as the only farm to pick pumpkins and apples in Bergen County.

Residents claim the parking issue has resulted in verbal arguments, theft of property and trespassing with one visiting family having a picnic on someone's lawn.

Police Chief Robert Francaviglia said they have towed cars and issued tickets.

Previously, the town erected a number of no-parking signs on nearby residential streets, but visitors ignored those signs and parked anyway, residents say. In some instances, people removed the signs.

"The small town infrastructure can't handle the amount of people who are coming to visit the farm," Horizon Terrence resident Maureen Moser said. "We are talking Jersey Shore traffic."

After a number of complaints were filed by residents with the county, SOS and the farm entered into mediation to try to resolve the issue this winter. DeGise said as a result, he provided an event management plan, implemented rotational parking, and started a hotline where residents can call and report problems.

"The mediation process resulted in gestures made by the farm but is not solving the issue," SOS executive member Dr. Tracy Verrico said. "It wasn't even enough to address half the problem."

DeGise said the farm has researched a number of options including using lots at nearby temples and schools but has not yet found something viable.

"No one is looking to close the farm but we want the owners to take responsibility and address our concerns," Verrico said. "The owner is not conceived to limit patrons at this point and it falls down to us.."

Fausto Giovanny Pinto may be reached at fpinto@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @FGPreporting. Find NJ.com on Facebook.