BY MICHAEL OLOHAN
OF PASCACK PRESS
WOODCLIFF LAKE, N.J.—One is the loneliest number, especially when you’re the only bidder and rejected.
Following submission of only one bid for environmental site remediation work at the borough-owned former-Galaxy Gardens property, the council voted Dec. 18, 2018 to reject the $329,000 bid by High Ground Industrial, Florida, N.Y., as too expensive.
“It has become necessary to reject all bids because the lowest bid substantially exceeds the borough’s appropriation for the project,” states the resolution approved Dec. 18.
The resolution notes, according to state public contract laws, “all bids should be rejected and the contract should be re-advertised.”
The bid was reviewed by the borough’s professionals, Neglia Engineering and First Environment Inc. Borough Administrator Tomas Padilla said the council hopes to advertise project specifications and re-bid the site remediation work by end of January, allowing potential bidders up to four weeks to submit proposals.
Padilla said vendors told them that the Nov. 28, 2018, deadline was difficult to meet due to other November events including elections, Veterans Day, the state League of Municipalities convention, and Thanksgiving.
$79K for demolition
However, the council approved the low bid of $79,600 from High Ground Industrial and awarded it the building demolition and site clearance contract.
Padilla said “weather permitting” the contractor may be able to start building demolition and site clearance by February.
The only other bid for demolition and clearing was from Yannuzzi Group, Kinnelon, for $148,738, which was incorrectly calculated in bid documents submitted.
Grant extension sought
The rejection of the lone bid to conduct soil blending potentially endangers the borough’s Feb. 10 grant deadline to use a $500,000 Bergen County grant awarded two years ago.
The borough plans to use the grant funds to build a passive park on the site of the former garden center and gas station.
Padilla said Jan. 2 the borough is requesting an extension for the deadline. Based on past extensions and progress shown, it is likely to get another, extending the time available for it to use the county funds.
The two-year grant deadline expired last year, but due to its $1.65 million purchase of the Galaxy Gardens’ site, a grant extension was approved.
If the rebidding is successful, the borough also hopes to award an environmental remediation contract by April or May, Padilla said.
Both the borough engineer and First Environment, Inc. hope to see more bids this time around, with more time given to potential contractors, Padilla said.
Although eight parties picked up bid specification packages, only one submitted a complete bid.
“We hope to get a few more bids at more competitive prices, or hopefully lower prices,” said Padilla.
Padilla declined to offer specifics about what the budget appropriation for site remediation was in hopes of receiving more competitive offers in a second round of bids. Initially, the borough put $100,000 for site remediation costs in escrow when it purchased Galaxy Gardens.
$82K spent so far
So far, $2,500 was spent on asbestos removal and $79,600 for site clearance, totaling $82,100. All funds for site remediation will come from the borough’s Open Space Trust Fund, Padilla noted.
“We’re being very proactive in pursuing this in the way that we’re doing it,” said Padilla, noting site remediation specifications would be reviewed and possibly revised prior to rebidding the environmental remediation work.
Prior to November’s bidding deadline, Padilla said First Environment, Inc.—hired to replace Langan Engineering as licensed site remediation professional due to lower costs and experience with soil blending projects—reduced the number of site sectors indicating high levels of contamination and likely reduced overall costs for remediation.
He described it then as “a surgical approach” to site cleanup that should help reduce costs.
Padilla said “At this point we really just have to let this play out” and see where bids come in for the second round of site soil remediation.
Although initial estimates from Langan Engineering approached $400,000 to $500,000 for remediation, Mayor Carlos Rendo has said costs for remediation should be lower as one environmental analysis showed only contamination by “topical pesticides” and an oil tank that needed removal.
Padilla said specifications for bidding contractors will provide a site map showing areas where contamination is believed to be higher based on completed sampling.
The state Department of Environmental Protection lists soil blending as one option to deal with “historical pesticide contamination.”
According to DEP, “blending may be done with clean soil from within or outside the area of concern to achieve concentrations at or below the Department’s residential soil cleanup criteria for all contaminants. Blending involves the physical mixing of contaminated surface soil with uncontaminated soil within a given area of concern,” states a DEP Historic Pesticide Contamination Final Report issued in 1999.
Galaxy Gardens’ backstory
Previously, the Galaxy Gardens site was under contract by Valley Chabad in 2016, a local Jewish organization, to construct an expanded temple for its growing congregation. That purchase fell through and the borough moved to acquire the property for use as a passive park. On Nov. 1, 2016, Valley Chabad sued the borough, alleging “a consistent campaign of bias” against its expansion efforts.
Also in June 2018, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, New Jersey District, sued Woodcliff Lake, claiming the borough and its Zoning Board violated the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA), noting “Valley Chabad’s inability to relocate within Woodcliff Lake and the denial of its variance application.”
Neither suit has gone to trial.
