PASCACK VALLEY—Taxpayers from throughout Bergen County will likely know within weeks — by the Bergen County Board of Commissioners’ Sept. 7 meeting — how much of more than $4 million in county 2022 Open Space funding may be recommended for specific local conservation projects for which they requested funding.
At its Sept. 7 meeting, the county commissioners will receive recommendations for Open Space funding from its Open Space Trust Fund Advisory Committee, which considers annual funding requests, investigates the proposals, and makes funding recommendations to commissioners.
A public hearing on grant awards is scheduled for Oct. 19, with a vote on final awards to be made at the commissioners’ December meeting.
Lucine Beylerian, a county spokesperson, told Pascack Press that 45 days following the Oct. 19 hearing, the recommendations will return to the Board of Commissioners at the end of the year to be voted on as a whole.
“This is a reimbursement grant, so approved applicants fill out an agreement, and will have two years to complete the requested project. Funds will be distributed after completion,” Beylerian said.
Open Space funds for Township of Washington’s former swim club site?
One of the largest county Open Space awards in play may be the future funds recommended for the Township of Washington purchase of the former 6.1-acre swim and recreation club off of Ridgewood Boulevard North. The township purchased the shuttered swim club for $750,000, intending it mostly for recreation purposes, as of April 29, 2022.
The township requested a $675,000 Open Space grant, or approximately 90% of its $750,000 purchase price for the property. In its county grant application, the township said it purchased the property for what it believed was below fair market value.
(See “Sheriff’s sale helped town net deal on swim club,” May 21, 2022, Pascack Press online) for more grant details.)
Mayor Peter Calamari said recently he had “positive” feedback on the township’s proposed funding request but did not elaborate.
Beylerian, also director of communications and policy, told Pascack Press that a total $4.3 million in Open Space funding was likely to be awarded later this year.
The swim club property, marked by closed pools and structures, lies unused except as storage site for a dozen or so DPW vehicles that have nowhere else to park since the township ended its lease of 35 temporary parking spaces at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church for $2,500 monthly.
Calamari said recently that the DPW vehicles and seasonal equipment (used for snow and leaf removal) stored at the swim club will remain “indefinitely” — until an alternate site can be found.
At the Aug. 15 council meeting, Calamari told council members that a newly proposed $4.5 million DPW facility at town hall did not include enough parking space to store all seasonal equipment and vehicles currently stored at the swim club. No resolution on alternative parking spaces for the DPW was proposed at the meeting.
We are rounding up information on other local towns’ requests for county grant funding.