Helipad Lawn Signs Stolen

Approximately two dozen "No-helipad" lawn signs were stolen from Oak Ridge Avenue sometime between 6:30-8:30 p.m. Sunday night, residents report.

Tom Graham, a resident actively involved in the community opposition efforts, said it is unknown as of now all of the residents that were effected or who may have taken the signs. Several residents have reported to Patch that signs were stolen, however the number varies between 14 and 25.

Summit Police Department reports in the weekly police blotter that five theft reports have been filed

Susan Grates, 18 Oak Ridge Avenue, is one of those effected by the theft. Grates said she didn't notice her sign was missing at first because she often loans her to other neighbors since their is such high demand for them.

"I thought nothing of it," she said.

However, once Grates noticed the majority of the signs on the street were missing, she knew hers had been stolen also.

"It looked like a little conspiracy," she said.

Normally, Graham said, when signs are stolen by kids, they are found mutilated not far from their original spot. This is not the case with the signs stolen Sunday night.

But Grates said even if it is kids, they shouldn't be allowed to get away with trespassing on private property.

Graham, who lives on Springfield Avenue, said many of the residents on Oak Ridge Avenue are the ones highly involved in the opposition to Overlook Hospital's application for variances needed to build a helipad on the roof of the C-wing for interhospital transfers of stroke patients.

Andy Gottesman, a resident of Oak Ridge Avenue, had an ordinance drafted by Planner Peter Steck that would have limited the placement of helipads in Summit. The Planning Board formed a committee to consider such an ordinance but recently decided not to move forward with one. Gottesman did not have a lawn sign on his property.

"To many of them they see this as an affront to what their trying to do," Graham said.

Zoning officer Christa Anderson said the city's ordinances do not regulate the placement of political issue signs, therefore it can be infered that the signs were not removed by city officials. Anderson said the only reason she would get involved with lawn signs is if they persist long after an issue is clearly over or if they appear on public property, such as Briant Park or in the middle of Canoe Brook Parkway.

But residents opposition efforts have not been limited to signs and buttons. They have also been working the corner of Beechwood Road and Union Place in front of Starbucks the last few Saturdays to get the word out to the community at large about the helipad application and the reasons why some are opposed.

Almost 500 lawn signs have been distributed to residents the last month as the Zoning Board hearing on this case enters the finals weeks of testimony and moves into the public comments portion of the process.

The Zoning Board will continue the case May 11 at 7:30 p.m.