MONTVALE—The borough looks to acquire more than 8 acres of farmland for possible recreational and community uses, its second major land purchase within the last year, said the mayor in an email and Facebook Live and Zoom broadcasts to residents.
The Borough Council introduced a $5.15 million bonding ordinance at its April 25 meeting to acquire nearly 8.4 acres of farmland owned by members of the DePiero family on Craig Road and Summit Avenue.
A public hearing on the ordinance to acquire the properties will be held May 11 and a public hearing on the $5.15 million bond ordinance will be held May 30. The council introduced both ordinances by 6-0 votes.
During a Facebook Live Q&A on April 24, Ghassali said the DePiero family would continue to operate the farmstand at 53 Craig Road for another year and noted the borough has reached out to other farms in the area to see if there was interest in keeping the farm going.
Last summer, Pascack Press reported on the financial struggles of the DePiero Farm Stand and Greenhouses — Montvale’s last remaining farm — that was hoping to hang on and celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2024.
(See “Mayor Rallies For DePiero’s Shy Of 100th Year,” Michael Olohan, September 12, 2022, Pascack Press.)
Ghassali said the proposed $5,150,000 bond to purchase the land would be a 25-year bond, and said officials would know the bond interest rate when they sell the bonds in the future.
“I really believe that this is very important to acquire for the future of the borough and that it not be sold to a private development,” Ghassali said on Facebook Live April 24. He said Montvale Landscaping would acquire 6.5 acres for its use on the southern side of the DePiero property.
Ghassali said that the property’s acquisition and possible future development for a community center or recreational fields would be helpful in relieving traffic congestion on the other side of town. He said a community pool or community garden on the site were also suggested as possibilities.
Ghassali said the $5 million in bonding would cost an average household $70 yearly over a 25-year term. He noted the borough’s $4.6 million acquisition last year to purchase 28.4 acres at 127 Summit Ave. costs an average $64 yearly. He said that’s “less than $6 a month for each of the properties.”
In an email to residents, Ghassali said, “Over the past year, we have been engaged in efforts to try to preserve this last remaining farmland in the Borough. We reached out to County and State officials to find out if there were funds available for farmland preservation; unfortunately, we encountered limited funding and a general lack of interest from individuals who wanted to continue the use of the property as farmland.”
He added, “Faced with no better alternatives, we believe that acquiring this property for future active and/or passive recreation purposes is in the best interests of the Borough. As part of this deal, the DePiero family will continue to operate the greenhouses for at least the next year. There are also some residential leases on the property that will need to be honored until they expire. However, this property is ideally suited for future development as sports fields or courts, a community center, or any number of other uses by the Borough,” Ghassali said.
Ghassali noted due to the proposed purchase, the initial plans for a new community center on Memorial Drive are put on hold “until we assess the feasibility and desirability of the new location for the community center.” He said he welcomed ideas from the public to help determine the best use for the property.
A video of the April 25 mayor and council budget public hearing should be posted on “My Montvale TV” within days of the meeting, said Mayor Mike Ghassali.
On April 25, the council also approved bond ordinance No. 2023-1535 that appropriated $2, 848,000 for various borough capital improvements. The ordinance approved the issuance of $2,735,500 in bonds or notes.
Asked by a resident on his Facebook Live broadcast who made the decision not to put the $5.15 million bond up for a referendum, Ghassali said it was “best to jump in and buy it now” and that the council agreed.
In other news, Ghassali said that Veolia North America, the water utility, was considering the purchase of 2 acres at 127 Summit Ave. to install a water tower to help improve long-standing water pressure concerns.
He noted water pressure on the East side was high while water pressure on the West side of town was low. He said the utility would pay market value for the potentially buildable land that it required to construct a water tower.