WOODCLIFF LAKE—After seven years of waiting and due to 2025’s wintry weather in January and February, the grand opening of the borough’s newest park is delayed again.
This winter’s sub-freezing weather, including snow and ice, has slowed down progress at the new passive park site at Wierimus Road and Woodcliff Avenue, delaying the opening until possibly April or May, borough officials said at the Feb. 24 meeting.
Pascack Press visited the site on Sat., Feb 22, noting a large sod lawn in place, but another field that was muddy, with piles of melting snow throughout the 2.1-acre property.
Partially completed were areas around the park’s amphitheater and arch-covered entrance. A walkway ringed the site’s perimeter, with memorial benches placed around the unfinished park.
Officials said veterans monuments were still to be moved to the new park and would arrive soon. Administrator Tom Padilla said officials want to have the entire park “fully operational and complete” for the grand opening.
Councilman Chistopher Bonanno said the opening date would be moved from late March. He said once a date is finalized, officials will let everyone know. The new park’s name will also be unveiled at the grand opening.
Officials also said they would be doing a new traffic study at the busy Wierimus Road and Woodcliff Avenue nexus to provide county officials up to date vehicle counts and volumes. Local officials had reached out to county officials to pursue a possible traffic signal at the busy intersection. However, county officials said it could be up to five years.
Meanwhile, Padilla said that he would meet together with the borough engineer to formulate ideas that could be discussed with county engineering. Former councilwoman Josephine Higgins, a longtime volunteer ambulance member, said she wondered why the county would not do anything about the intersection when they knew it was a dangerous intersection. She said she had responded to a horrible accident at the intersection with the local ambulance squad.
“It’s just a matter of time before someone is hurt,” said Higgins, also a former mayor.
The council awarded a park installation contract to Applied Landscape Technologies, Montville, the lowest of two bidders on the long-delayed park project. Padilla said 11 contractors picked up bid packages but only two contractors submitted bids.