Whether you are concerned about environmental safety, historic preservation, or the traffic on West Saddle River Road, your voice matters
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, a high-stakes community meeting is set for Monday, April 6, at 6:30 PM, and the atmosphere in Ridgewood is anything but calm. While the official agenda covers “logistics” for the Zabriskie-Schedler property soil remediation, local residents are sounding the alarm over what they claim are massive safety gaps and questionable environmental decisions.
The site, which is listed on the National and NJ Registers of Historic Places, has become the center of a battle involving contaminated soil, highway safety, turf fields and the removal of hundreds of trees.
The Safety Red Flag: Why is the Police-Backed Berm Being Removed?
One of the most heated points of contention involves a 6.5-foot-tall earthen berm originally designed to protect the site from “wayward vehicles” drifting off Route 17.
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The Original Plan: In 2015, with input from the Ridgewood Police Department, experts designed this 17-foot-wide berm topped with large trees to act as a physical crash barrier and noise screen.
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The Change: The current plan replaces this robust safety feature with a standard low guardrail.
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The Controversy: While the NJDEP states that the entire berm does not need to be removed for soil remediation, the Village is moving forward with full removal anyway. Residents suspect the move is intended to clear space for a larger artificial turf field, prioritizing sports over highway safety.
Contaminated Soil & Environmental Justice
Public records have revealed troubling data regarding the soil at the Schedler site. Imported fill associated with Ridgewood Water and Bergen Community College reportedly tested above safety standards both before and after being placed on the historic property.
Furthermore, residents in the surrounding diverse neighborhoods feel silenced. Key concerns include:
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Tree Canopy Loss: Acres of mature trees have already been cleared to make room for athletic expansion.
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Traffic Disruption: Truck routes and equipment are expected to use West Saddle River Road, potentially disrupting school bus routes in an area already filled with cul-de-sacs.
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Environmental Justice: Despite the neighborhood being heavily burdened by highway proximity and construction, requests for formal environmental justice meetings have allegedly been denied.
Monday’s Meeting: What to Expect
Officials from the Village of Ridgewood, Matrix New World Engineering, Northstar Environmental, and the Ridgewood Police Department will present the remediation logistics, including:
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Truck queueing and routing.
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Real-time air-quality monitoring.
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Site security and police presence.
However, expect the public comment portion to be focused on why less disruptive alternatives were ignored and who made the final call to remove the safety berm.
How to Join the Meeting
Whether you are concerned about environmental safety, historic preservation, or the traffic on West Saddle River Road, your voice matters.
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When: Monday, April 6, 2026 | 6:30 PM
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Where: Ridgewood Village Hall (Courtroom)
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Virtual Access: Join the Zoom Webinar
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Webinar ID: 825 9279 9142
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Passcode: 07450
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Tags: #RidgewoodNJ #SaveSchedler #PublicSafety #EnvironmentalJustice #LocalGovernment #BergenCounty #NJEnvironment
When was the meeting of village council discussing and deciding on berm removal? Can a link be provided?
We wonder what contractor wants the bid to remove the contaminated soil.
You hate the toxic soil. Now you don’t want it removed. Make up your minds.
They already are take down more 🌳 and start make the divisions with pink tape,
This park plan is riddled with issues but fear not because you have village manager kazmark who will call in whatever political favor Vagianos deems necessary to make sure this park gets built and fast. No one on the council seems to be concerned about resident health or safety from our bee loving plastic turf guy to our mayor, a former environmental attorney, it is a joke that they want children to play on a highway.
Enough is enough, clean the property up already, and let’s not forget about our past and present employees that worked at this location handling the contaminated soil. we know that the mayor council and management have a list of employees who they are. Stop putting your head in the ground like an ostrich. And thinking that this will go away, it will never go away. The door will be left open the mayor and council, and the head management need to do their job. They’re not they are still continuing to do a cover-up. I’m glad we have always been 10 steps out of your jerks.