Ridgewood proposes $1.5M for Shetler property remediation, seeks grants for train-station tunnel; 2025 capital stays under $7.5M cap

Ridgewood officials on Feb. 27 presented a 2025 capital budget proposal totaling approximately $7.486 million when carryovers and previously introduced ordinances are included. The package includes an urgent $1.5 million recommendation for soil remediation at the Shetler property, a $400,000 placeholder to strengthen grant applications for a train-station pedestrian tunnel, and multiple equipment and park upgrades the administration says are needed for public safety and accessibility.

"We need to put a substantial amount of money away because without question, there is going to need to be excavation on that property," Keith (staff member) said in presenting capital-line recommendations and a pending Matrix report on the Shetler site. Staff recommended $1,500,000 in bonding to prepare for excavation and remediation work once Matrix delivers its delineation and remediation plan; the village also plans to pursue insurance and JIF claims where possible to recover costs.

Why it matters: staff emphasized the remediation is driven by public-safety concerns tied to the property's contaminated berm and that the expense is a priority outside of the project-development budget. Council members expressed frustration at cumulative spending on the property in past years and said cleanup is necessary. The administration said it will coordinate with Bergen JIF, the environmental JIF and risk managers to determine potential recoveries.

Key items in the capital plan include:

- Shetler property remediation — recommended $1,500,000 (preliminary). Keith said Matrix has confirmed the berm will need removal; staff are awaiting the full Matrix report and anticipate additional delineation testing.

- Train-station pedestrian tunnel — $400,000 placeholder to be appropriated as a local match to boost competitiveness for Bergen County and New Jersey historic preservation grants and to begin preliminary design work; the tunnel is a State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) property requiring SHPO approval for changes.

- Paving program — engineering request listed at $22,250,000 (one of two items already introduced by ordinance in February; staff said this item is being processed through a separate bond ordinance introduced earlier).

- Sanitation/garbage truck and other carryovers — the sanitation truck and the paving program were noted as already introduced and moving forward.

- Habernacle (accessible) playground — $139,000 capital request with a current $68,000 Department of Community Affairs grant; staff warned the grant could be lost if the capital appropriation does not bridge the funding gap and the project is not authorized this year.

- Parking garage bond and utilities: staff said the parking-garage construction bond is carried in the parking utility and that parking revenues cover parking-related expenditures. The bond has an estimated $10.8 million remaining and was issued on a roughly 25-year schedule.

Staff said two items highlighted in pink were bond ordinances from 2024 that were adopted after last year's capital budget and therefore rolled into the 2025 bond capacity: archaeological soil testing ($350,000) and water pollution-control facility upgrades ($478,000). Green highlights indicate items already introduced in 2025; blue indicates items staff proposed to introduce on March 12. The combined total, after accounting for carryovers and prior appropriations, keeps the village under the $7.5 million annual bonding guideline.

Schedule and next steps: staff asked the council to introduce the bond ordinance covering the blue items on March 12 (it can be introduced with fewer than a full council present) and to adopt it on April 9 when a full complement of members is expected; following advertising and a 20-day estoppel period, funds would be available for department use around May 1. The administration said they will consult bond counsel to confirm permitted uses within bond language (for example, temporary safety barriers at Shetler if appropriate).