PASCACK VALLEY AREA—Of nearly $19 million allocated countywide for 2021 open space and park improvement projects, six of our eight Pascack Valley towns received nearly $500,000 in matching grant funds from the Bergen County Open Space Trust Fund.
Receiving the funds in our area: Park Ridge, Emerson, Hillsdale, Montvale, River Vale, and Woodcliff Lake — which got a large infusion for its Galaxy Gardens Passive Park.
Westwood’s borough clerk told us the municipality did not apply for an 2021 county Open Space grant.
Township of Washington officials did not reply to our request for information. That said, the township’s grant consultant did not list an application for a county Open Space grant in its year-end summary report.
The $18,984,482 in county Open Space grants was appropriated in a Dec. 15, 2021 resolution approved by county commissioners, formerly the Board of Chosen Freeholders.
The Trust Fund program is funded through a rate of 1 cent per $100 of total county equalized real property valuation annually, as approved by the public in 2013.
The county administers these funds with a match program where the non-profit or municipality is not reimbursed until after the project is completed.
The projects completed by this program “preserve Bergen County’s natural beauty and makes open spaces more accessible for all the residents of Bergen County.”
In total, 57 of 70 Bergen County towns and the Land Conservancy of New Jersey received county Open Space funding grants.
Park Ridge
North Fifth Street land
In Park Ridge, the $92,500 land acquisition grant will be used to acquire 1.366 acres, or 60,383 square feet, off of North Fifth Street.
Borough Clerk Maggie Giandomenico said the grant funds would be used, “in order to purchase the land located on North Fifth Street, which if attained, would forever remain as open space for passive recreation.”
She said, “This will allow for the ever-growing demand [for] recreational space for residents and visitors of the borough. The majority of the current recreational spaces, both passive and active, are located on Park Avenue and can often be overcrowded, especially since the Covid-19 pandemic, as many people shift to outdoor activities for increased safety.”
She added that the land on North Fifth Street is not developed and is to be designated specifically for passive recreation.
Emerson
Benkovic Field lighting, with MuscoVision camera tech
Emerson received $77,340 for Benkovic Field lighting and cameras, part of the Hillman-Villano field complex. The project cost was estimated at $230,200. Emerson originally was going to contribute $115,100. It was unclear what the reduced funding would mean for the project.
The new Benkovic Field lighting was anticipated to be equipped with MuscoVision camera technology to record sports games so footage may be reviewed by teams or coaches, or publicly broadcast, said the grant proposal. A one-month installation timetable is planned, May–June.
MuscoVision will allow the borough to livestream games, and includes a camera behind home plate and in the outfield. Interested viewers “who want to watch can pay per day, per week or per month,” with 70% of revenues due back to the borough.
The recreational fields are co-owned by Emerson and the local board of education. It was unclear what the reduced funding would mean for the planned field upgrades, which initially included possible artificial turfing of both fields in 2023. That was not included in the 2021 Open Space grant proposal.
Hillsdale
Beechwood Park improvements
Hillsdale received $56,250 for Beechwood Park improvements, including the playground, pathways, and seating areas. Mayor John Ruocco told us on Jan. 3 the grant will cover improvements for playgrounds, pathways, seating, and bandshell repairs/enhancements. “I am obviously very pleased that the county could provide us with this grant. Beechwood Park has great potential for more intensive and frequent use, such as for concerts, presentations, picnics, and borough festivals.”
Montvale
Huff Park playground improvements
In Montvale, proposed Huff Park playground improvements received $77,340 for surfacing and landscaping, according to the county resolution.
Mayor Michael Ghassali told us, “The grant is to upgrade the playground stage at Huff Park and add additional toddler games and make it safer for the kids to play at the park. I’m grateful that we were awarded this grant and we are looking to apply for more grants for additional projects in town.”
River Vale
Pickleball court
In River Vale, a pickleball court construction project received $77,340.
The work was called for under long-range action as part of the township’s 2020 Open Space and Recreation Plan (OSRP), adopted Dec. 9, 2020, which finds good uses for New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) Green Acres Program funds and Bergen County Open Space, Recreation, Floodplain Protection, Farmland & Historic Preservation Trust Fund.
The OSRP says in part, “The Township strives to provide a variety of recreation options to all members of its community. The Township recognizes that the present open space and recreation system is sufficient at this time.”
Woodcliff Lake
Galaxy Gardens Passive Park
Woodcliff Lake was awarded $110,157 for its long-anticipated Galaxy Gardens Passive Park, now an empty lot at the corner of Woodcliff Avenue and Werimus Road.
The county resolution listing the grant notes “new passive park, gazebo, lighting” as grant outcomes. The borough plans to advertise soon for a landscape architect to help design the park, which only recently finished remediation of toxic soil left by uses as a garden center and gas station.
The 2.25-acre park was purchased by the borough in early 2018 for $1.65 million despite some residents’ soil contamination concerns. A prior county grant for nearly $500,000 was contingent upon soil cleanup certification from the borough’s licensed site remediation professional.