TOWNSHIP OF WASHINGTON—An environmental investigation of 450 Pascack Road—conducted as part of the township’s “due diligence” before purchasing the 3.2-acre property—suggested contaminants such as fuel oil, pesticides, asbestos insulation, and lead-based paint on-site.
However, the environmental consultant, Lisko Environmental LLC of Belmar, did not recommend a Phase II follow-up to confirm the presence of contaminants, leaving that decision to the township.
“Verification of the presence or absence of contaminants potentially associated with these RECs (recognized environmental conditions) may be determined through a Phase II investigation at the request of the client. Cost/risk analysis decisions associated with further investigation of these conditions are the decision of the client,” stated the nearly 400-page Lisko report, authored by project scientists Nicole Forman and Ashley Scull.
Pascack Press reached out to Mayor Peter Calamari, town administrator Mark DiCarlo, and report co-author Ashley Scull for comment, but did not receive responses by press time. DiCarlo said he needed to consult township attorney Siobhan Spillane Bailey.
It was unclear what actions, if any, officials might take based on the report. The occupants of 450 Pascack Road declined to comment.
Asbestos and lead-based paint concerns
Two other possible hazardous materials are noted in the report. Records indicate asbestos siding is listed on the property record card, designating the home as containing “presumed asbestos-containing materials.” Federal requirements mandate notification and management of such materials in pre-1980 buildings.
“Additionally, in the future a comprehensive asbestos survey should be completed prior to significant renovation or demolition activities,” the report states.
For lead-based paint, the report notes that buildings constructed before 1978, when it was banned, could have such paint. “Since the subject property is a residential property, lead-based paint (LBP) sampling could be warranted depending on the condition of the painted surfaces. The presence of LBP may require investigation and remediation for construction purposes if the property were to be redeveloped,” the report states.
The June 2024 Lisko report estimated the house was built around 1887, though records only date to the 1940s. Aerial photos confirm buildings on-site in the early 1900s.
In early May, Calamari and property owner Robert Morris signed a purchase agreement for $750,000 after years of on-and-off negotiations. A “due diligence” period followed, including title searches and site investigations. The township previously bid $430,000 under threat of eminent domain but later opted to negotiate.
Neighbors along Ridgewood Boulevard East have urged councilors to acquire the property, which is between homes to the south and west, and Memorial Field and Washington Elementary School to the north.
Under “Recognized Environmental Conditions,” the report noted possible “historical fuel oil storage and usage” and “historically applied pesticides” used on former farmland on-site.
“Based on the date of building construction (1887), the subject property building(s) was likely connected to natural gas after initial construction. Mr. (Edward) Bonner noted that a former aboveground storage tank (AST) was present in the area of/under the current front porch of the dwelling.
It continued, “Mr. Bonner estimated that the tank and concrete/stone pad were removed in the early 2000s. Based on the information gathered on the former fuel oil AST, and the absence of removal documentation, the historical fuel oil storage and usage is considered a REC.”
Bonner, of Cody Property Management, served as a “key site manager” for the Morrises during a May 23, 2024, site visit by Lisko. He has helped market the mostly wooded tract since 2021.
The property was marketed for $2.1 million due to its alleged development potential. Calamari said developers were interested in the site if the township did not acquire it. Last year, the township was awarded a $550,000 county Open Space grant for potential “passive recreation” use, such as walking trails.
The report notes that “historically applied pesticides” were likely used on the western portion of 450 Pascack when a small farm operated there from the 1920s to 1940s.
“As noted in the 1931 aerial photograph, a small section of land is cleared in the western portion of the property. Additionally noted in the 1931 aerial photograph, the northern, southern, and eastern adjacent properties were formerly farmland,” said the report.
Due to the potential use of pesticides on the property, there is a possibility it was treated with “historically applied pesticides” during previous farming operations on-site and off-site.
Lisko found no regulated wetlands on the property but recommends submitting a Letter of Interpretation – Line Verification to NJDEP to confirm this and to verify that the stormwater feature on the west side, which drains from an elementary school parking lot, lacks a wetland area transition buffer.
“Due to the presence of a stormwater feature, the site may contain Flood Hazard Area (FHA) constraints. It is recommended that an engineer perform drainage calculations to determine the drainage area of the feature. It is also recommended a Flood Hazard Area Applicability Determination to determine if the proposed project falls under the jurisdiction of the FHA Rules. Based on the above information, additional investigations are warranted for development,” states the Lisko report.
Misidentification of 450 Pascack’s owners
The report mentions an interview with John and Nora Morris during the May 24, 2024, site inspection. However, both are deceased; they were the parents of current owner Robert Morris. It is unclear why Lisko’s project scientists believed they were speaking with John and Nora Morris.
The report states, “On May 24, 2024, during the site inspection, Lisko interviewed the current property owners, John and Nora Morris, as well as the broker for the property, Mr. Edward Bonner. According to John Morris, the property formerly belonged to his mother since the early 1950s and was his childhood home. The property formerly contained a small vegetable farm on the western portion of the subject property. Farming operations were estimated to have occurred between the 1920s and the 1940s. John’s mother no longer resides at the property, and it is usually vacant, infrequently inhabited by John and Nora when they visit New Jersey.”
According to our own observations, Robert Morris and his wife are often seen at the property, and it rarely appears vacant, though the house may look unoccupied.
Pascack Press spoke briefly with Mrs. Morris on Sept. 13; she declined to comment on the report or its reference to the late John and Nora Morris. Efforts to reach Lisko about the misidentification were not returned.
Generally, the 450 Pascack property is unkempt, with overgrown grasses and trees and a rundown home fronting Pascack Road. A recent Pascack Press photo shows only glimpses of the circa-1887 home behind untrimmed trees and shrubs.
Bonner also told Lisko that a former aboveground fuel oil tank was removed from under the front porch in the early 2000s, and a 2012 “tank sweep” found no underground storage tanks. The Morrises and Bonner denied a septic system or potable well on the property. The home is heated by natural gas.
In summer 2020, a proposal for a 48-unit senior living complex on the site by Lakos Construction, Inc., was withdrawn after public pushback.