Neighbors press Ridgewood council over Schedler park turf plan, PFAS and tree removals

Residents of the Schedler neighborhood and other commentators used the village’s public-comment period on April 9 to press elected officials over plans for the Schedler property, artificial turf and soil contamination. Speakers urged the council to reconsider plans for turf fields, raised concerns about PFAS and microplastics, and criticized tree removals and community outreach; village leaders and the manager responded with clarifications about remediation, PFAS treatment easements and planned tree plantings.

Why it matters: The Schedler property has been the subject of long-running debate in Ridgewood. The council is preparing capital funding and remediation work for the site, and several residents say potential artificial turf would add PFAS and microplastic risks near private wells. Officials say the village must remediate contaminated soils and that the property’s reuse as a park is intended to bring more public access and preserve the rehabilitated Schedler house.

Resident concerns and examples

Cynthia O’Keefe, a Ridgewood resident who spoke during public comment, criticized the council and staff for issuing proclamations while pursuing the Schedler plan. “It’s very hypocritical to me,” she said, tying the village proclamations about clean water and trees to the Schedler choices. O’Keefe and others warned about PFAS-related health risks and microplastics from turf infill; she said private wells near the property increase neighborhood vulnerability.

Anne Loving, another resident, also urged a change of course: “Please, I implore you, change your minds on the artificial turf,” she said, arguing scientific understanding and community preferences had evolved.

Council and staff responses

Village Manager Keith Kazmark pushed back on the charge of hypocrisy and said the council’s direction was to develop the site as a park, not commercial development. “The investment that I’ve been directed to guide here… is to develop a park on that property. A park. Not a strip mall, not a gas station, not a billboard,” Kazmark said, describing the council’s intent to remediate the site and restore public use. He also emphasized the village’s PFAS treatment investment, saying the consent order with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection requires treatment facilities and that the village is building the necessary plants to deliver PFAS-free water to customers over time.

Manager Kazmark and Ridgewood Water Director Rich Kalbi also described the technical work tied to PFAS: Kalbi noted that multiple PFAS treatment plants are under construction, that the utility has secured principal forgiveness and favorable loan terms for some projects, and that additional facilities will come online in 2025. Kazmark said the easement the village seeks on the property is for underground infrastructure required by the PFAS program and, he said, “will not have any impact on flooding” because the work is underground.

Council members also noted other investments intended to offset impacts: members pointed to a village program to plant more than 200 street trees this year, and annual allocations for tree replacement and improvements in the Central Business District. Council members said the village had removed community gardens on the Schedler site and that the main disagreement where neighbors differ from some advocates remains turf versus natural grass and the size of the playing field.

Clarifying details from the meeting

- Schedler soil remediation: the capital package presented to council includes a $1,500,000 estimate for soil remediation at the Schedler property based on an engineering report; staff described this as an estimate and subject to change after further testing and work planning. - PFAS treatment: staff said the village has planned roughly $150 million (previously allocated) toward PFAS treatment plants across Ridgewood Water’s system, with several plants under construction and more contracts to be awarded in 2025. - Easement for PFAS work: the council described the easement sought on the Schedler property as an underground utility easement for pipelines and equipment tied to PFAS treatment that would be covered after installation. - Trees: council members and the Shade Tree Commission reported a village program to plant 200+ trees in residential areas in 2025 and ongoing CBD plantings; council members said some on-site trees at Schedler are invasive Norway maple and removal was anticipated in prior plans.

What residents asked for and next steps

Speakers asked the council to drop artificial turf and to hold more inclusive outreach. Several residents asked the council to hold committee meetings at the Schedler House so more people can inspect the building and the site; the mayor and manager said staff will arrange hybrid meeting support and that the fields committee will hold an in-person meeting at the house with a Zoom option.

Ending: The Schedler debate remains unresolved. The council voted to proceed with the budget and bond items that include remediation funding; public and committee meetings are planned in the coming weeks where details of design, field size and surface material will be discussed further.