RIVER VALE—The town council on July 25 approved the hiring of a consultant to handle construction management services for the proposed $13.3 million public safety complex anticipated to begin construction in spring 2023.
The $378,000 contract is expected to last up to 20 months. The vote was 4-0.
That’s according to township business administrator and CFO Gennaro Rotella, who told Pascack Press the contract hires Epic Management Inc. of Piscataway for preconstruction services at a flat fee of $7,850 and then for construction management services, including an onsite trailer, for $18,770 monthly.
Rotella said construction should last 18–20 months, likely finishing in late 2024. He said bid specs on the Public Safety Complex should be issued by October.
Initially, council approved hiring Epic in mid-February, but Rotella said both the township and architect reviewed the initial contract and requested modifications that were negotiated and ultimately delayed a final agreement.
Rotella previously told Pascack Press that while it had no influence on their decision, River Vale’s public schools had been using Epic as construction manager on its projects related to the mostly successful $35.7 million April 2021 schools referendum.
Rotella said so far an estimated $14 million has been appropriated for the complex, including council approval of a late July 2021 bonding issue for $13.3 million.
In October, officials estimated an average $185 annual tax bump for 30 years to pay off the bond.
However, officials also noted that as more townhomes come on the tax roll from the 225 under-construction units in Fairways at Edgewood, a luxury townhome development, the annual tax hit should be reduced.
Rotella said he and Settembrino Architects, the project’s architect, reviewed eight construction management service proposals in early December.
He said Epic personnel will be in their onsite trailer for six days per week to oversee all construction work, including pre- and post-construction contractual obligations. He said that professional services contracts, which Epic was awarded, do not necessarily go to the lowest bidder.
He said out of the eight proposals for management services, he and Settembrino interviewed only two finalists and chose Epic, which had the lower bid.
Settembrino on its website touts the project and notes “The surrounding site caters to several neighborhoods on both Rivervale Road and Prospect Avenue, Settembrino Architects has approached the Public Safety Complex to have a more residential feel to fit within the neighborhood’s context. The materials proposed are a stone base veneer, horizontal composite siding, metal roofs, and craftsman style windows, columns, and pilasters. A lower sloped roof pitch creates a shorter building that is in context with its mostly 2-story residential neighbors.”
It adds, “The building is positioned centrally on the site with a prominent street presence. It is set back from Riverdale Road to allow for a greenspace buffer similar to the houses across the street. The site is bifurcated into front and rear to provide public and private access into the building.”
It says “There are two vehicular entry points into the complex from Riverdale Road. These two points service a public parking lot as well as circulate through the existing community center parking lot. The public can access the building through the front entry off the public parking lot.”
At the rear of the building there is secure police parking, access to police parking, sally port entry, and a bay for vehicle maintenance. There is also a secure staff entry at the rear of the building.
Settembrino also has designed a new police and court/council chambers addition to the Borough of Emerson’s municipal building, as well as renovation to the existing building.