WOODCLIFF LAKE, N.J.—Two longtime residents took to the mic at the July 21 council meeting, raising concerns about the cost of the new Woodcliff Park, the lack of online public participation at meetings, and the borough’s emergency preparedness.
Sixty-year resident Burt Taylor and former mayor and councilwoman Josephine Higgins were the only residents to speak, engaging the mayor and council in nearly 15 minutes of discussion.
Taylor asked officials if they were happy with the new park and its events, and questioned whether residents truly knew the total cost of the project. Councilman Joshua Stern responded that all financial information was public.
Taylor also criticized the borough for covering the site’s environmental cleanup—about $500,000 for oil residue remediation—instead of the seller.
Mayor Carlos Rendo pushed back, explaining that the site, formerly a gas station and nursery called Galaxy Gardens, required remediation due to its proximity to a stream and past contamination. “If you want to do it right, you do it,” said Rendo, who cast the deciding vote in 2018 to purchase the site for $1.65 million. “There’s no price for the enjoyment of the residents of this town.”
Woodcliff Park is the borough’s first and only municipal park. (Nearby Wood Dale Park is county-owned.)
Taylor reiterated that most residents are unaware of the full costs. Council members disagreed, pointing out that Pascack Press has covered the project extensively over the past six years, including environmental cleanup, change orders, and more. (Search Galaxy Gardens at thepressgroup.net.)
In 2018, when the borough purchased the 2.1-acre site for $1.65 million, some residents and officials opposed the move due to potential contamination. Valley Chabad Center for Jewish Life had previously eyed the land for expansion, but its interest faded as environmental issues became apparent.
At the park’s grand opening on May 3, Rendo praised past and current councils for backing the project and emphasized that converting the site to open space transformed an “environmentally impacted area.”
By Pascack Press estimates, the full cost—including $500,000 in remediation, $2.75 million in construction, and a $1.5 million legal settlement with Valley Chabad—totals around $6.4 million, excluding soft costs.
Zoom access, public comment
Taylor also asked whether residents could participate in meetings via Zoom. Council members said the public currently can watch meetings via Zoom or YouTube but must attend in person to comment. Alternatively, residents may email comments to the borough clerk to be entered into the meeting record.
Borough Clerk Debbie Dakin noted that most of Taylor’s prior emailed comments had already been answered and not read aloud at meetings. However, any resident may request that their comments be formally read and recorded.
Officials noted that only three viewers were tuned into the meeting’s YouTube livestream at one point.
Emergency planning
Higgins, a longtime EMS volunteer and former mayor, urged the borough to better prepare residents for emergencies, citing the recent flooding tragedy in Kerrville, Texas.
“I think it’s really important,” she said. “If they don’t have the knowledge, this is where people die.” She recalled a dam break during her tenure as mayor that gave local officials just 30 minutes to evacuate equipment as water rushed in.
She noted that the Tice Senior Center could serve as a warming or cooling center in emergencies and stressed the importance of getting plans and tips into residents’ hands.
Councilwomen Nicole Marsh and Jennifer Margolis said they would work with the Office of Emergency Management (OEM) and public safety officials to develop a public emergency plan.
The mayor and council also congratulated Higgins for being honored as a Fifth District Hometown Hero by Congressman Josh Gottheimer. (See “Pascack Valley doers Higgins, Cirelli, Levinson honored as Fifth District Hometown Heroes,” July 18, 2025, thepressgroup.net.)