Mayor says borough has been approached about buying 535 High Mountain Road to consolidate municipal services

Mayor Randy George told the Borough of North Haledon council that he was approached about the potential purchase of 535 High Mountain Road for $10 million and outlined a plan to consolidate municipal services at that site.

George said the building is centrally located near schools and recreation fields, has ample underground parking and is ADA compliant. He proposed moving the police department to a single-floor layout there, relocating municipal offices to the ground floor to escape the borough’s current flood-zone location, and placing the library on the second floor. George said converting the existing library to a community center would free space and that purchasing the building “would be much cheaper than building three new buildings.”

Why it matters: Consolidating police, municipal offices and library services into one facility could affect capital budgets, operational logistics and accessibility for residents. George said the building’s layout and parking make it attractive for police operations and borough services, and highlighted potential cost savings compared with constructing new facilities.

Council context and next steps: The transcript records the mayor’s presentation of the proposal but does not record a formal motion, a vote, or further staff reports on financing, appraisal, or due diligence. The seller is identified as “Mr. Pjeternikaj” in the minutes; no representative of the seller spoke during this meeting. The council did not take a formal vote on the purchase during the Dec. 13 work session.

The mayor also indicated that moving municipal offices out of a flood zone is a driver of the idea; the transcript does not specify current building addresses, funding sources, or timelines for any appraisal or purchase. Any formal acquisition would require additional council action, financing decisions and public notices before closing.