TOWNSHIP OF WASHINGTON—The Township Council postponed a vote on the proposed $5 million DPW facility at its Dec. 16 meeting, citing unresolved costs for environmental remediation at the former swim club property and the absence of councilor Michael Ullman.
Council president Michael DeSena and VP Steven Cascio expressed reservations, saying they would reconsider their opposition once a clearer estimate of remediation costs is available.
The township purchased the 6.1-acre former private swim club site, on Ridgewood Boulevard South, in April 2022 after two due diligence surveys by Lisko Environmental found no contamination. A subsequent pre-demolition survey by Boswell Engineering identified polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), pesticides, asbestos, and lead. Boswell is investigating the full extent of contamination.
The DPW has operated without a permanent facility since 2021, when its prior building, next to town hall, was demolished due to soil contamination from leaking fuel tanks in the 1970s and 1980s.
During the nearly 20-minute discussion, all four councilors present—DeSena, Cascio, Daisy Velez, and Tom Sears—agreed on the need for the proposed two-story, three-bay garage. However, DeSena and Cascio maintained that the unknown cleanup costs at the swim club site remain a concern.
DeSena suggested he would support the DPW project if the remediation costs were “reasonable,” such as $500,000. Cascio did not specify what might change his position. Meanwhile, Velez and Sears argued against further delays, with Velez expressing frustration at the prolonged decision-making process.
“The DPW facility has been an agenda item for over a year,” said Velez, urging the council to “man up” and move forward. DeSena responded by pointing to his past efforts leading cleanup work at the former DPW site.
Administrator Mark DiCarlo shared that switching to an all-steel building—an alternative requested by DeSena at the previous meeting—could save approximately $100,000. However, DiCarlo explained that the architect, Arcari Iovino, advised against steel framing on the first floor, citing durability concerns with DPW operations.
Velez emphasized that most cleanup costs at the swim club site would be covered by state grants, referencing applications for both preliminary and site remediation grants submitted by Boswell. DiCarlo confirmed that while the preliminary grant covers site investigation costs, a remediation grant would likely cover the full cleanup expense.
Adding to the uncertainty, the council is awaiting an estimate for pesticide remediation at the 450 Pascack Road property, which it agreed to purchase earlier this year for $750,000. That estimate is expected this month.
DeSena reiterated his preference to delay a vote until all council members, including Ullman, are present. With the council’s reorganization set for Jan. 3, 2025, the earliest possible vote is Jan. 6.
Mayor Peter Calamari criticized the repeated delays, noting the DPW staff has worked without proper facilities for years. “It’s really not fair to the employees,” he said.