HILLSDALE—A top public works official informed the Borough Council on Aug. 13 that all DPW operations, including office staff and light vehicles, have moved back from temporary offices in Woodcliff Lake to the local DPW facility.
Earlier this year, the DPW relocated its office operations and some lighter vehicles and equipment to two leased properties in Woodcliff Lake following damaging floods in late 2023. Since then, DPW staff have made improvements to onsite buildings and raised equipment, storage facilities, and mechanical equipment to higher ground to minimize future flood impacts.
Officials noted that August would be the final month of payments for leasing the two out-of-town properties at 150 and 160 Broadway. The combined monthly rent for both properties was $2,850. The properties are managed by Avak Uzatmaciyan under 150 LLC and 160 LLC, located at 792 Route 17 North, Paramus.
The total cost of the lease over eight months was $22,800.
Additionally, interim superintendent Barry Peterson reported that they had purchased a half-size used shipping container and moved it to the second floor for additional equipment storage. Borough Administrator Mike Ghassali mentioned that this might store items such as lawn mowers and plow attachments, keeping them above potential floodwaters.
Councilor Justin Fox, DPW committee chair, told Pascack Press that all the upgrades to DPW facilities were done “in-house” by DPW employees, including changes to the four-bay garage and repairs to the two hydraulic lifts. He added that a new roof installed on one building cost the borough approximately $10,000.
He noted that road salt is now stored in an older onsite building and was minimally affected by recent floodwaters. Plans are being considered to store it on a raised platform or move it to higher ground to mitigate future flood impacts.
The DPW site and facilities are adjacent to Pascack Brook, which often floods during light or heavy precipitation, depending on rain intensity and whether a nearby reservoir releases storm runoff to maintain its structural integrity.
The state Department of Environmental Protection previously ruled that reservoir operator Veolia North America (formerly Suez and United Water) is not required to lower water levels in advance of a predicted severe storm. NJDEP maintains that the reservoir operator’s primary objective is to provide drinking water to customers, not to mitigate or control flooding.
Reservoir releases during storms often exacerbate downstream flood impacts, adding to damages caused by storm runoff that does not fall within homeowners’ watersheds but is released by a dam upstream.
Ghassali praised Peterson and DPW workers for adding the storage container, following two recent flood events near the DPW facility.
Peterson stated that they had modified the four-bay garage onsite to minimize flood damage, cleared out most of the second floor, and placed a shipping container on the second floor for additional storage. He also mentioned plans to go out for bids on a replacement lift and the relocation of one lift to a back shed.
After Ghassali commended the DPW crew for installing the storage container, Peterson said, “If it wasn’t for them (the crew), I wouldn’t be able to get half the stuff done that we’re able to get done.”
Community Center Planned for 2026
Ghassali also presented a “final design” for a community center at the under-development 256-unit Patterson Street mixed-use development at the former Waste Management site. Completion of the center is planned for late 2026.
The proposed design was shown to attendees at the Aug. 13 meeting but was not streamed. Pascack Press requested and received a copy early the next day.
The proposed center is approximately 5,000 square feet and includes a large meeting room, a small meeting room, storage, two offices, a warming kitchen, and restrooms.
“Hopefully, the community will like it when all is said and done,” Ghassali said.
Late last year, the council voted to cancel plans for a community center at Stonybrook Swim Club, citing the cost and apparent lack of community support.
Officials said other costs, including staffing and programming, as well as competing capital projects such as improvements to recreational fields, also were considerations.