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Mountainside council approves sewer connection settlement with Westfield Park Partners
Summary
The Borough of Mountainside approved a settlement allowing Westfield Park Partners to connect to the town’s sewer trunk line in return for $364,500 in remediation charges and $70,000 in connection fees; Westfield will remit $40,000 to Mountainside, council records show.
The Mountainside Borough Council on Oct. 21 unanimously authorized a settlement that lets Westfield Park Partners, LLC connect a 162‑unit Westfield apartment development into Mountainside’s sewer trunk line in exchange for remediation and connection fees.
Under Resolution 129‑2025, the developer will pay Mountainside $364,500 in inflow‑and‑infiltration remediation charges and $70,000 in connection fees. The Town of Westfield agreed to pay Mountainside $40,000 of the connection fees it has collected or will collect from the developer, according to the resolution and the settlement terms summarized for the council.
The dispute arose over whether the developer must pay Mountainside’s $2,250 per‑unit remediation charge for direct or indirect connections into the borough system, and how a connection fee paid to Westfield should be allocated between the two municipalities. Borough attorneys recommended the settlement to resolve those issues after “lengthy negotiations,” the resolution said.
Council members voted in favor of the resolution by roll call: Dierkes, Matejek, Pacifico, Rinaldo, Van Deusen and Wass. The resolution authorizes borough officials to sign the Settlement Agreement and directs implementation according to its terms.
Why it matters: The settlement resolves an intermunicipal billing and allocation dispute and secures funds the borough says will address infiltration and related sewer system impacts. It also clarifies the developer’s right to use a connected sewer line, removing a potential obstacle to project progress in neighboring Westfield.
What’s next: The resolution authorizes borough officials to execute the settlement agreement; the text directs town attorneys and staff to implement the terms, including receipt of the specified remediation and connection payments.
