A section of James J. Braddock Park bordering Woodcliff Avenue is still gated, with piles of dirt and rock covering the 4-acre site.
In April, Hudson County officials awarded a $3.5 million contract to Tomco Construction to build a soccer/football field there with 1,500 seats.
The project caused North Bergen residents to form the Friends of James J. Braddock Park group, complaining that the area has already suffered from the poor planning of a non-regulation soccer field along Bergenline Avenue. They said the field caused Woodcliff residents to constantly have their properties covered with dust. They feared that this field would take away what little open space was left on their side of the park.
“We’re seeing a tremendously blighted fenced-in area.” – Nicholas Sacco
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Construction began a little under four months ago and was quickly stopped after overturned dirt and rocks gave way to contaminated land. When the ground was being prepared for an artificial turf surface, the county realized that creosote – a waterproofing chemical used on railroad ties from a trolley that ran through sections of Hudson County in the 1930s – was the culprit, along with discarded tires.
At that time, Hudson County Spokesperson Jim Kennelly said that the pollutants were not deep into the ground and would not pose any health risks. He said the most likely fix would be to remove the contaminated soil and replace it with the subsurface of the field.
Must satisfy the state DEP
However, because the county has received a $1.5 million Green Acres grant, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection froze the funds until the site is proven to be clean, according to a DEP spokesperson.
Kennelly believed at the time that cleaning the site would take six months.
Last week, he said that he spoke with Division of Parks Director Thomas McCann, who said that the county has supplied the DEP with all of the reports.
However, DEP Spokesperson Lawrence Hajna said the state was still waiting for paperwork.
What’s the holdup?
According to Hajna, when an applicant requests Green Acres funds, a preliminary assessment checks for environmental issues and contamination. It must be completed before construction begins.
“The project manager has not received that information yet,” said Hanja. “When it is received we will review it and work with the county on developing the appropriate plan and address any issues that are found, but at this point, I don’t [officially] know what issues were found.”
Hanja said that there is a tracking system in place for reports once they arrive and that there is no record of receiving anything from the county.
Kennelly said that as far as the county knows, they were told that finding the responsible polluters for the site and assessing the costs for the clean-up were now in the hands of the DEP. He said that the lag has nothing to do with the “county dragging its heels” or with construction. He said that having a project in limbo was the last thing the administration wants.
Both sides agreed that the contamination itself was not unusual for an industrial or urbanized area.
Hajna said that the DEP will reach out to the county and try and locate the missing documents.
North Bergen dealing with blighted area
North Bergen Town Administrator Christopher Pianese said that Boswell Engineering, the firm in charge of the project as well as the township’s engineer, completed and sent the entire package to the DEP on Oct. 27 and is still waiting on a response.
Pianese said that from the town’s perspective, the project should at least be underway. Due to it being a county project, North Bergen has nothing to do with the project or the contamination cleanup.
“Here’s our problem,” said Mayor Nicholas Sacco. “When we drive through North Hudson County Park, we’re seeing a tremendously blighted, fenced-in area.”
He continued, “Now if it was going to be a stadium, put the stadium in and we can address how it will fit into the community as a whole. Right now we’re in limbo looking at what I would call simply a mess in the park, an eyesore, and nobody is happy or satisfied. Not those that want a stadium, not those that want open space. So whatever the problem is, I would hope that they would expedite it and get it done so we can work on a plan that works for the community.”
Tricia Tirella may be reached at TriciaT@hudsonreporter.com.