HILLSDALE—The borough engineer said Oct. 7 that “a few slight tweaks” to Hillsdale’s $5.8 million Memorial Field improvement project were necessary after the vendor’s initial cost estimate came in “way above” the town’s approved budget.
Borough engineer Nick Chelius of Colliers Engineering & Design said a final presentation of project changes is planned for the Oct. 14 council meeting. Borough Administrator Mike Ghassali said the presentation will include final changes agreed upon by the engineer and general contractor and reviewed by the Fields and Recreation Committee.
Ghassali said the borough hopes to hold a “shovel in the ground” ceremony by the third week in October at Memorial Field.
Council members expressed concern that the project’s quality and scope could be affected, but Chelius assured them that was not the case. He said that in some areas, similar but less expensive materials were substituted and that a few nonessential items were cut.
Chelius said comparable replacements were made for benches, trash cans, and tables to reduce costs, and another type of retaining wall was selected. He said he went “line by line” through the contractor’s estimate to identify savings.
One “creative” cost-saving measure, Chelius said, involves having the contractor leave and reuse clean excavated soil onsite to build up certain areas, while adding topsoil from other sites seeking to dispose of it.
“We’re looking at all options — things we can do to get the number on budget — and we’re very close,” Chelius said. He added that his team compared its project estimate to the contractor’s actual costs and asked for a “second look” wherever major differences appeared.
Councilman Clemente Osso asked whether it might be better to go out for bids. Chelius said it was “possible” that bidding could reduce costs overall but noted that doing so would delay the project timeline.
Ghassali told Pascack Press that the project price was procured through Athletic Fields of America, a general contractor participating in a county purchasing cooperative. He said Oct. 8 that the engineer and general contractor would continue refining pricing and meet with the Fields and Recreation Committee before the Oct. 14 meeting.
Councilman Robert Colletti said the committee would discuss proposed cuts and which amenities remain in the plan. Chelius said he would provide a list of changes and emphasized that he saw no “significant sacrifices on quality.”
“Most of the stuff we’re selecting is a similar, smarter choice,” Chelius said.
Chelius said the team also reviewed vendor costs for installing underground electrical conduit. Councilman John Ruocco noted that such work might lead residents to assume field lighting would be added later.
Chelius said pathway lighting — originally estimated at $500,000 — would be eliminated, as the park closes at dusk. The conduit installation, about $100,000, would also be removed from the project. However, he noted that if future field lighting were desired, the conduit would have to be installed later, requiring excavation and running of electrical tubes, at a higher cost.
On March 11, the Borough Council voted, 4–2, to approve Resolution 25-102, authorizing the Memorial Field improvement plan and capping spending at $5.8 million. Councilmembers Robert Colletti Jr., Justin Fox, Melissa Mazza-Chiong, and Clemente Osso voted in favor; John Ruocco and Janetta Trochimiuk voted against.
Ghassali explained that, following a 2021 budget increase, the borough has been allocating $500,000 annually into a field improvement account. Some $1.2 million from that account, combined with $4.6 million in bonding, will finance the park upgrades. He said there will be no annual tax increase as long as the project remains within the approved $5.8 million cap.