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Council adopts bond ordinance to finance Schedler property soil remediation after public objections
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Summary
Council adopted a bond ordinance March 25 authorizing borrowing to support state‑mandated soil remediation at the Schedler property; opponents said the measure was bundled with development plans, and bond counsel and council members repeatedly said the ordinance funds remediation only and is required to take the loan from the JIF.
The Ridgewood Village Council adopted a bond ordinance on March 25 to authorize financing for soil remediation at the Schedler property after a public hearing in which neighbors raised historic‑preservation, traffic and process concerns.
At the special public meeting, remote speaker Ellie Gruber (president of the Schedler House) objected to the ordinance and argued it would support cleanup and development of the site, cited a prior local historic‑sites commission denial and said legal appeals were unresolved. Council members and bond counsel Matt Jessup responded that the ordinance’s stated purpose is limited to soil remediation and to authorizing the municipality to process a loan from the Bergen Joint Insurance Fund and related environmental financing. Jessup read the ordinance’s purpose language and explained that New Jersey municipal law requires a bond ordinance to evidence authority to borrow; the ordinance itself does not authorize park development or construction.
Deputy mayor and other council members emphasized that the remediation is mandated by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, that removing contaminated soil is required regardless of future land‑use choices, and that the loan mechanism helps secure more favorable financing terms and support from the JIF. Several residents asked about the berm removal plan and the cost of excavating boulders and berm material; officials said nine of 14 berm samples required excavation per Matrix (LSRP) recommendations and that berm removal was recommended to ensure thorough remediation.
Council moved and adopted the bond ordinance (read as ordinance 40‑88, bond ordinance for soil remediation at Schedler property, $1.6 million appropriation and authorization of $1.35 million in bonds/notes). During the hearing, the council limited public comment to the scope of the bond ordinance; board members stressed that remediation financing cannot be redirected to development without separate approvals, and that loan terms and the need to adopt a bond ordinance are governed by state law.
The council also scheduled a neighborhood meeting about the remediation work for April 6 (community forum with Matrix New World Engineering and contractor Northstar) where residents will hear project scope, traffic and police oversight plans and have a chance to raise safety and scheduling questions. The manager said the project is slated to begin later in April, and staff will send letters with a QR code for residents to sign up for project notifications.
