SOUTH RIVER — The Borough Council voted unanimously last week to allocate $81,900 in funds from the state Housing and Community Development Block Grant (HCDBG), despite some concerns from residents.

The money was allocated to projects throughout the borough including $11,900 for Office on Aging building improvements and equipment; $40,000 for curb, sidewalk and streetscape work along Whitehead Avenue between Jackson Street and Anne Street, as well as for the "Welcome" sign at Anne Street and Whitehead Avenue and the removal of the storage building at Daley's Park; and $30,000 for the flagpole or flagpoles, a sign, monument/plaque at Cannon Brother's Park, the aerator for Daley's Pond, and the repaving of the basketball courts at JFK Park on Anne Street.

Residents told the council at its Feb. 23 meeting that they agreed parts of Whitehead Avenue need an upgrade, but expressed concern about a lack of fairness over the borough providing those upgrades. The residents said they have spent money out of their own pockets for work to sidewalks and curbs.

Mayor Raymond T. Eppinger said that when work starts on the curbs and sidewalks, the borough will determine what needs to be fixed and what is adequate.

"We won't start ripping up a sidewalk if the property owner spent time and money to put in their own sidewalk," he said.

Councilman Anthony Razzano stressed to residents that borough officials could not take the state Housing and Community Development funds and just use them anywhere they want in the borough.

"There are specific locations that these funds can be allocated," he said.

Eppinger added that the borough could not allocate funds to Leonardine Park even if officials wanted to. "It's not in the specific location where the state allows us to allocate the funds," he said.

The mayor said the borough receives HCDBG funds every year from the state and that the funds can be carried over year after year.

"The funds are part of our vision to connect improvements on Whitehead Avenue to improvements to Daley's Pond and JFK Park … We looked at these parks and determined that they haven't had upgrades in years," Eppinger said. "We hope to start these improvements this year when the weather warms up."