the staff of the Ridgewood blog
SADDLE RIVER, NJ — After being disbanded in 2022 following a controversy tied to the Choctaw Trail affordable housing project, the Saddle River Borough Council has officially reinstated its Environmental Commission with seven new members.
At the August 18 council meeting, the following residents were appointed to three-year terms:
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Alisa DiGirolamo
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Manuel Gonzalez
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Sanjay Kapoor
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Bob LaViano (former Chairman)
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Diane Lucianna Wafe
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Angel Mulkay
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Dior Vass (Planning Board member)
Why the Commission Was Disbanded in 2022
The previous Environmental Commission unraveled after then-Chairman Vincent Blehl sent an unauthorized letter to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) opposing the Planning Board’s approval of the Choctaw Trail affordable housing project.
Borough Attorney David Lafferty warned that Blehl’s actions jeopardized $17 million in municipal tax credits and potentially exposed commission members to penalties.
Mayor Albert Kurpis later called Blehl’s actions a “rogue move” and wrote to the DEP urging the agency to disregard the letter. By June 2022, the commission was officially dissolved.
Legal Battles and Political Fallout
Blehl continued to fight the Planning Board’s approval, but the state Superior Court and the Appellate Division rejected his claims. Judge Gregg Padovano ruled in August 2024 that the board had sufficient evidence supporting its stormwater management decision.
Despite his legal defeat, Blehl ran unsuccessfully for mayor in 2023 and is now seeking a Borough Council seat as a Democrat in the upcoming November election.
Commission’s Role in Saddle River
The newly appointed Environmental Commission serves in an advisory role on issues affecting the borough’s environment. Its responsibilities include:
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Protecting and developing Saddle River’s natural resources.
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Advising the Planning Board on environmental impacts for the borough’s Master Plan.
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Making recommendations on open space, stormwater management, air quality, waste control, soil protection, and preservation of flora and fauna.
Moving Forward
The revival of the Environmental Commission marks a turning point for Saddle River, aiming to restore community trust and ensure that environmental oversight is carried out responsibly and transparently.
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This story is an obvious attempt to start discrediting my run for Councilman since it is full of misinformation and the author refuses to identifyhimself with his last name.
Specifically with regard to the letter I wrote to the NJDEP, which was done after the Environmental Commission recieved notice from the NJDEP inviting comment which was entirely legal, despite claims by the borough attorney to the contrary!
Furthermore, the mayor, using this fabricated story re loosing tax credits, threatened and intimidated other Environmental Commission members into resigning.
This is precisely why I am running for Councilman, to combat the egregious behavior of Mayor Kurpis. Once I am a Councilman, I plan to run for Mayor next year to dethrone King Kurpis! Vince Blehl