Approximately $48,000 in additional costs for site remediation and environmental oversight at Galaxy Gardens is required to clean up remaining gasoline contamination found on site, revealed the borough engineer at the Council’s July 13 meeting.
Borough Engineer Evan Jacobs, of Neglia Engineering, said contamination was found in a couple spots where previous garden center buildings existed. Moreover, the site once hosted a gasoline-service station which may have left residual gasoline contamination, officials said previously.
Jacobs said extra environmental remediation costs to remove and replace 225 tons of potentially contaminated soil will total $31,525. In addition, extra charges for site monitoring by First Environment, borough licensed site remediation professional (LSRP), will be $17,100, he said.
Including the $48,625 in newly proposed cleanup costs, the borough has spent $355,600 to clear, grade and remediate the former garden center and gas station site.
Jacobs said several test wells were drilled around where the buildings were located to sample for contaminants. He estimated once the additional soil removal work gets underway, the final contaminant remediation should occur in 3-4 weeks.
Borough Administrator Tom Padilla said that either a change order would have to be approved or the extra remediation work might need to be rebid to comply with state municipal finance law.
Moreover, the borough applied for an additional county grant that may help with “Phase II” of the ongoing Galaxy Gardens passive park development plan.
Working with Neglia Engineering and its grant consultant, the borough applied for a $341,100 Bergen County Open Space Trust Fund matching grant “for the next phase of Galaxy Gardens” that includes installation of sidewalks, a gazebo, flagpole and lighting, landscaping and irrigation, lights, monuments, trash receptacles and other amenities.
The total grant amount is $682,200, of which the borough would contribute half. Padilla said the borough may know by early 2021 whether it will receive the grant.
Padilla said should the borough receive its $341,100 county matching grant, the local matching portion may come from the municipal Open Space Trust Fund, a local bond issue or possible corporate sponsorships.
During public comment, former Mayor Josephine Higgins said she wanted to make sure local veterans are included in development of Galaxy Gardens passive park. Both Padilla and Mayor Carlos Rendo noted several ideas would be developed for the passive park and presented to the public for input before final decisions are made.
The 2.25-acre Galaxy Gardens site—at Woodcliff Avenue and Werimus Road—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.
The property—following site and environmental cleanup—is planned for a passive park using a $500,000 county Open Space grant previously awarded.
The $500,000 in grant funds will flow to the borough when the site is certified to meet state environmental standards, officials said. Those funds will be used to help reimburse about one-third of the cost for property acquisition, Padilla said.
The Borough Council previously approved $79,600 for demolition and site clearing in February 2019 and then approved a $227,375 contract for site environmental remediation. The borough had to rebid the site remediation contract after initially only one lone bid for $100,000 above the final remediation cost was received.