BY MICHAEL OLOHAN
OF PASCACK PRESS
WOODCLIFF LAKE, N.J.—Local officials are optimistic that a second round of soil remediation bids for the former Galaxy Gardens site—due on Feb. 20—will come in much lower than the one previous bid they received for $329,000 in late November 2018.
Borough officials unanimously approved a resolution Feb. 11 awarding a $79,600 contract to HighGround Industrial of Mahwah for demolition and clearing of several buildings, materials and debris at the site.
The borough purchased the 2.25-acre former garden center property, located at the corner of Werimus Road and Woodcliff Avenue, after Mayor Carlos Rendo cast a tie-breaking vote Feb. 1, 2018, authorizing the council to acquire it for $1.65 million.
The project is also supported by $500,000 in Bergen County grant funding. Borough Administrator Tomas Padilla said in December 2018 that the borough had applied for and received an extension on a February deadline for spending the county Open Space grant, initially awarded two years ago.
Borough officials anticipate that demolition at the site should begin by mid-March and hope that they receive at least a few lower soil remediation bids to clean up pesticide contamination at the site.
The second round of soil remediation bids are due Feb. 20 at Borough Hall.
The lone $329,000 bid in November 2018 for soil blending was rejected by council members as too expensive.
The Dec. 18, 2018, resolution rejecting the bid said it “substantially exceeds the borough’s appropriation for the project” but officials declined to reveal any budget limit, saying that might affect future contractor bids.
The borough’s consulting engineer, Neglia Engineering, which is vetting contractors and bids along with the borough’s licensed site remediation professional, First Environment Inc., said the lack of bids was due to a crowded November schedule of elections, holidays, and a municipalities’ convention.
“We do expect to have more than one bid, yes; that’s probably the best way to put it,” Padilla said Feb. 11.
Padilla said 17 companies had picked up bid specifications: 16 individual companies and a bid aggregator, which disseminates bid specs to possible bidders.
Padilla said when demolition finishes, probably in late March, should a soil remediation bid be approved at a March meeting, it’s likely that a contractor could begin the soil blending work in April or May, weather permitting.
The soil blending remediation effort allows the contractor to blend existing contaminated soil on site with non-contaminated soil from the site or soil delivered to the site.
Site remediation funding approved
In addition to approving HighGround Industrial for site demolition work Feb. 11, council also approved up to $25,000 for First Environment Inc. to continue as the licensed site remediation professional (LSRP) for the site environmental cleanup.
The LSRP coordinates with state environmental officials on site remediation specs and regulations and reviews all final remediation sampling results.
The LSRP submits the required paperwork to NJDEP, maintains project oversight and verifies soil sampling results following remediation.
Council members hired First Environment due to the consultant’s expertise with soil blending projects and lower costs for specific LSRP tasks.
Padilla previously noted that First Environment reviewed the original soil blending specifications and took a “surgical approach” that reduced the number of site locations which indicated high levels of contamination.
Officials hoped this approach would reduce site remediation bid costs.
Mayor Carlos Rendo said he anticipates a possible design for a future park by fall 2019 if no unanticipated problems arise. However, he noted even one issue or problem may derail that schedule.
Park design by summer?
Padilla later said the council may be hiring a park design consultant by summer, depending on the weather and if site demolition and remediation continue with no glitches.
As long as the project shows progress, the county has approved extensions for its Open Space grant spending deadline, Padilla said previously.
The borough hopes to spend $500,000 on design, construction and maintenance of a passive park at the Galaxy Gardens site.
Previously, the 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, 2017, Valley Chabad filed a lawsuit against 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 and its Zoning Board for allegedly violating 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 lawsuit has gone to trial.