BY MICHAEL OLOHAN
OF PASCACK PRESS
WOODCLIFF LAKE, N.J.—Borough officials approved a contract March 4 for Galaxy Gardens’ environmental remediation that was more than $100,000 less than a lone bid received in November.
Council members unanimously awarded a $227,375 contract to a South Jersey contractor with the lowest bid for environmental remediation on the former Galaxy Gardens site.
ENR Contracting LLC, of Winslow, was approved 6–0 by council members, who asked questions about the low bid but were reassured by borough professionals, including engineer Evan Jacobs, Neglia Engineering Associates, and First Environment, Boonton, that the bid was in line with similar soil remediation projects.
First Environment was hired last fall by the council due to their experience with soil blending projects and lower overall costs.
The firm replaced Langan Engineering as licensed site remediation professional, or LSRP, for the borough’s Galaxy Gardens’ soil remediation effort.
An LSRP coordinates with state environmental officials on site remediation plans, soil sampling results, and provides remediation project oversight.
Seven bids received
Of 17 potential contractors who requested bid specifications, seven bids were received by Feb. 20. The bids ranged $227,375 to $525,000.
The three lowest contractor bids were considered for the remediation contract, coming in at $227,375, $280,400 and $295,510.
HighGround Industrial, Florida, N.Y., the previous lone bidder in November at $329,000 whose bid was rejected as too expensive, submitted a second round bid of $354,800.
Purchased for $1.65 million
The 2.25-acre Galaxy Gardens site was purchased Feb. 1, 2018 by a split council, with Mayor Carlos Rendo breaking a 3–3 tie to acquire the property for $1.65 million.
At the time, Rendo and council members said the property at Woodcliff Avenue and Werimus Road could be turned into a passive park using a $500,000 county Open Space grant previously awarded.
The borough has received several extensions on its grant deadline for spending the funds, said Borough Administrator Tomas Padilla, with the latest extension until Aug. 10, 2019.
He said if the borough shows progress in cleaning up the site, the county is more likely to approve an extension.
Demolition to begin
On Feb. 11, members unanimously approved a $79,600 contract with HighGround Industrial to begin demolition and clearing of several remaining structures and debris that must occur before site soil remediation begins.
Padilla said borough officials would meet the week of March 4 with HighGround Industrial to set a timeline for site demolition and clearing.
Once that occurs, Padilla said, a future meeting with ENR Contracting will occur to determine a possible schedule for soil remediation.
Padilla noted the former garden center site was once used for farmland and a gas station.
He said the soil remediation and blending bid specifications prepared by First Environment used a “surgical approach” to the site, breaking it into quadrants with varying levels of pesticide contamination based on soil sampling.
Different site quadrants require different types of soil treatment to bring site soil under specific contaminant levels, he said.
Padilla said that the borough must provide state Department of Environmental Protection certification of a successful soil remediation project at Galaxy Gardens before the county will release $500,000 in county Open Space funds for the passive park planned for the site.
‘On top of every aspect’
Councilwoman Jacqueline Gadaleta said she was comfortable with approving the lowest bidder to manage site remediation after hearing from Neglia Engineering.
“I believe we are on top of every aspect beginning with the cleanup and preparation for making it into something special in Woodcliff Lake,” Gadaleta told Pascack Press March 5.
She said First Environment said the low bid was in line with what they estimated a remediation project such as Galaxy Gardens should cost.
Gadaleta was one of three council Democrats who voted against purchasing the property in 2018, along with fellow Democrats Nancy Gross and Brian SIngleton.
When Democrat Ian Spelling was elected last November, and Gadaleta re-elected, a 4–2 Democratic council majority was formed. Mayor Carlos Rendo votes only in case of a tie.
‘Open to possibilities’
Gadaleta said she is not yet definitely set on a passive park for the site.
“I’m open to other possibilities, I’m not eliminating any ideas. I’m not quite sure what we’re [council] going to do with it,” she added.
Asked about possibilities, Gadaleta said the future use or park should have “something all residents can use…children, adults, seniors” and suggested one possibility might be a park including outdoor athletic options or equipment.
Padilla said when site demolition finishes probably in late March or early April, it’s likely that ENR Contracting could begin the soil blending work in April or May, weather permitting.
The soil blending remediation effort involves blending existing contaminated soil on site with non-contaminated soil from the site or soil delivered to the site.
Efforts to reach borough engineer Evan Jacobs, Neglia Engineering, for information about the contractor vetting process were not returned by press time.
Valley Chabad link
The site was eyed by Valley Chabad in 2016 for purchase to construct an expanded meeting place but after the council expressed interest in acquiring it for open space, Chabad looked elsewhere to expand.
At one point, council suggested using eminent domain to acquire the site although that approach was not pursued.
Since then, Chabad has filed a lawsuit against the borough alleging “a consistent campaign of bias” against its expansion.
In June 2018, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, N.J. District, sued the borough under the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA) for denying Chabad’s efforts to expand locally. Neither case has gone to court.