Pompton Lakes planning board approves Veolia pump‑station upgrades with conditions

The Pompton Lakes Planning Board on Aug. 20 approved an application by Veolia to upgrade the borough’s booster pump station at 7 North Legion Street and to install a replacement electrical substation, with several conditions attached.

Craig Bossong, the attorney representing Veolia, told the board the project will replace internal pumping and electrical equipment but not change the building footprint. Engineer Steven Salzer said the work is necessary because “the pump station’s old … many components are reaching their useful life, and they need to be upgraded.” He said the new electrical unit will be built adjacent to the existing transformer, tied in while the old unit remains in service, then removed once the new unit is operational.

The board was told the new substation will sit about 4 feet 2 inches from the rear property line, which requires a variance because the borough’s minimum rear-yard setback is 10 feet. Salzer disputed an engineer-review measurement that had been taken to a fence and said the side-yard clearance is actually larger than reported. He also explained flood-hazard design: the replacement substation will be placed on an equipment pad and platform to raise the transformer above the flood elevation and will use a dry‑type transformer to avoid oil spill risks. “We will not be fencing in the new substation,” Salzer said, citing both the site’s existing security and NJDEP guidance discouraging fences in flood hazard areas.

Veolia’s witness also described operational upgrades: replacement of the flow meter, pump resizing to conform with current NJDEP allocation permits, and addition of a surge‑relief system to reduce the risk of a repeat of a past pipe-cap failure. The board heard that the station’s mechanical and electrical systems date to the 1980s and that the applicant has obtained several regulatory clearances, including a New Jersey DEP Bureau of Water Systems approval in May 2024, a NJDEP flood-hazard applicability determination on Aug. 18, 2024, and Hudson‑Essex‑Passaic County Soil Conservation District approval on July 25, 2024.

During final discussion, board members asked the applicant to address an on‑site garage that appears neglected. The approval motion, moved by a member identified in the transcript as “Mister Otto,” included these conditions: removal of the (disputed) side‑yard variance item from the plan notes discussed during testimony; a requirement that the applicant provide the board engineer with copies of any changes to DEP permits; removal of an outdated note indicating the slab over Acid Brook would be replaced (the board directed that the note be corrected to reflect the current scope); and that the applicant coordinate with the board engineer to clean up and maintain the existing garage and landscaping. One member pushed for a stronger maintenance condition, and the applicant agreed to perform landscaping and painting as part of the approval.

The motion passed on a roll‑call vote of the members present with all recorded votes in favor.

The board’s action allows Veolia to proceed to bidding and, the applicant said, to construction next year after procurement. Final work remains contingent on any additional permits or agency requirements the DEP or other agencies may impose.