Mahwah rescinds DPW construction award after architect refuses to release sealed plans

The Township of Mahwah on March 12 voted to rescind a contract award for a new Department of Public Works facility after the project’s architect declined to deliver signed and sealed construction drawings the township says are necessary to proceed. Business Administrator Benjamin Kezmarsky told the council that the architecture firm DiGeronimo PC and its principal, Louis DiGeronimo, were paid more than $2.4 million but would not provide the signed drawings needed to permit construction. "To be clear, this is not the result of any improper action or omission by Dobco," Kezmarsky said in a statement read at the meeting. "The DPW facility project cannot move forward at this time because ... [the architect] has refused to turn over the signed and sealed drawings." The Township has filed litigation against DiGeronimo PC and Louis DiGeronimo seeking delivery of the plans; a state court ordered the firm to provide the drawings but, according to the township, the plans have not yet been surrendered. Council President Robert Ferguson framed the rescission as a procedural necessity: without signed and sealed contract documents the township cannot legally or safely move forward with the contractor it had previously selected. The rescission was placed on the public meeting agenda for formal action. Mayor Jim Wysocki told the council he supports the decision and said the incident underscores the township’s interest in controlling costs and protecting taxpayers. Wysocki also used the discussion to repeat a long‑standing concern about the cost of emergency apparatus, saying he’d been advised the practical service life of a fire vehicle is now roughly two decades and that the township must carefully manage repairs and replacement budgets. What happens next The rescinded award leaves the project in limbo. The township says it will explore options to proceed — including re‑soliciting bids or securing the architectural plans by legal order — but officials emphasized the priority is obtaining sealed construction documents before issuing a new contract. Kezmarsky said the township will seek to recover monies paid to the architect if the firm persists in refusing to comply. The council’s action prevents Dobco from moving forward as the contractor while the legal dispute is unresolved. The township did not provide a vote tally for the rescission during the meeting but the action was included among resolutions approved that evening. The litigation docket and the court order are part of the public meeting record attached to the council materials.