TOWNSHIP OF WASHINGTON—Township officials are weighing an 18-month lease of a 1.25-acre rear parking lot at Bethany Community Center to store Department of Public Works vehicles and equipment while the new DPW building is constructed behind Town Hall.
The measure could land on the Township Council’s Oct. 6 agenda, according to a letter sent to neighbors and statements from the administration.
Talks with Bethany have appeared as a closed-session “negotiations” item for months, and costs have not been disclosed. In a Sept. 30 note to Pascack Press, administrator Mark DiCarlo said the lease remains under negotiation and that he would answer questions once it is public beyond the required notice to residents within 200 feet.
What the plan includes
- Site: Rear Bethany Community Center lot (approx. 1.25 acres).
- Access: A new driveway from Woodfield Road for DPW access.
- Security/Screening: Chain-link fencing with privacy fabric and a locked gate; no public access, and no resident debris drop-off.
- Hours: Mon–Fri, 7 a.m.–3:30 p.m., with exceptions for storm emergencies.
The township’s letter says the temporary yard would let crews clear the old DPW site so construction can begin. The council on Sept. 8 awarded a $4.9 million contract to Premier Construction of Midland Park for the new facility, a project years in the making.
Questions still open
Pascack Press asked DiCarlo and Mayor Peter Calamari about lease pricing, the cost of the Woodfield Road driveway, and what happens after the 18 months. We didn’t hear back by press time.
One candidate for council weighed in: Desserie Morgan, running as an independent, told us on Oct. 1, that she did not support leasing the Bethany property for public works use.
“I believe it disrupts another pocket of our township rather than keeping everything in one centralized location, where it belongs,” Morgan said. “We should be looking for solutions that minimize the impact on our neighborhoods and maintain the quality of life for residents.”
She noted that the rear parking lot off Woodfield Road is regularly used by joggers, bicyclists, and families. “It is a community space,” she said. “Adding DPW traffic, even with a separate driveway, creates unnecessary risks and safety concerns for children and residents who use that area daily.”
Morgan said the township should pursue a long-term, centralized solution for DPW operations that consolidates storage, equipment, and vehicles in one appropriate location, rather than scattering them throughout neighborhoods. In the meantime, she suggested a cost-benefit analysis to determine whether leasing equipment when needed could reduce the need for excessive storage.
“This approach would cut costs and reduce the burden on our residents,” she added. “Most importantly, whatever direction is taken, the community should be part of the conversation from the very beginning—not after negotiations are already underway.”
Officials have scrambled for overflow storage for years, leasing space and using temporary lots, including:
- Our Lady of Good Counsel (35 spaces; two-year lease approved December 2023 for nearly $64,000).
- The former private Washington Township Swim and Recreation Club after its April 2022 town acquisition.
- A nearby bank parking lot and an earlier two-year lease in April 2021 at OLGC ($60,600 for 35 spaces).
DiCarlo told site neighbors, “Please feel confident that the Administration has vetted other options for storage and operations of the DPW equipment and vehicles.” He said other options included town property, purchasing of land and other leasing locations.
“Those locations were determined to be not feasible, either by deed restrictions or proximity.
We truly appreciate your understanding as the Township of Washington constructs our long overdue DPW building, at Town Hall. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me directly,” wrote DiCarlo.
We asked DiCarlo and the mayor about future plans after the Bethany parking lot lease expires but did not hear back. Once the new DPW facility is built, some storage may occur there but officials previously said more storage space would still be needed for larger vehicles and equipment.