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Upper Saddle River officials and Toll Brothers’ arrive at a Corrective Action Plan and Schedule to Lift Stop Work Order

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MINUTES OF THE MEETING WITH TOLL BROTHERS BOROUGH OF UPPER SADDLE RIVER JULY 24, 2019 1:00 p.m.

ATTENDEES:

USR Mayor Joanne Minichetti Craig Cherry, Toll Brothers Div. President Ramsey Mayor John Roth John Peck, Toll Brothers, Div. Sr. VP James Dougherty, USR Building Official Rick Hoff, Toll Brothers, Attorney Robert Regan, USR Borough Attorney David Fultz, Toll Brothers Joy Convertini, USR Deputy Municipal Clerk Carmine Merlucci, Toll Brothers Bobby Fleshman, USR Public Works John Lehane, Toll Brothers Kevin Boswell, Borough Engineer Quentin Weist, Ramsey BA Frank Rossi, Boswell Engineering Jay Kruse, ESE Consultants Mark Mayhew, SVP, ESE Consultants

Continue reading Upper Saddle River officials and Toll Brothers’ arrive at a Corrective Action Plan and Schedule to Lift Stop Work Order
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Congressional Candidate Frank Pollotta Spells Out the Environmental Impact of the Apple Ridge Site

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Mahwah NJ, congressional candidate Frank Pollotta was interviewed by CBS New York this afternoon in a follow-up to a story about elevated levels of arsenic at the former Apple Ridge Golf and Country Club in Mahwah.

Pollotta stated ,”As many of you know, my own testing revealed elevated arsenic levels in the soil late last year—a key ingredient in the pesticides used on the property decades ago.

Continue reading Congressional Candidate Frank Pollotta Spells Out the Environmental Impact of the Apple Ridge Site
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Apple Ridge Mess Just Will Not Go Away

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Pictured: Chairman of Mahwah Environmental Commission Richard Wolf documenting ongoing pollution at Toll Brothers construction site in Mahwah and Upper Saddle River.

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Upper Saddle River NJ, the Ridgewood blog has been covering the mess caused by the Apple Ridge construction site for over a year . While local and state politicians continue to talk of taxes needed for fighting ,”global warming” ,right here in our own back yard a potential environmental disaster is taking place , perhaps even reaching some of the areas drinking water while politicians do absolutely nothing .

Reader sums it all up : “Your local government doesn’t care about you or your property. They’ve allowed Toll Brothers to invade your space, ruin your investment and eventually your health. Shame on them”

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North Jersey Media Says Pollution Issue at Apple Ridge Nothing But Straw in a Storm Drain

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photos by Derek Michalski

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Upper Saddle River NJ, Upper Saddle Resident Derek Michalski, accused Toll Brothers, a land developer, of polluting his well water and the stream running behind his home in Upper Saddle River on Friday February 8, 2019. 

Toll Brothers is developing the former Apple Ridge Country Club and Apple Orchard in Mahwah.

Continue reading North Jersey Media Says Pollution Issue at Apple Ridge Nothing But Straw in a Storm Drain
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Stop Work Orders Issued on Former Apple Ridge and One Lake Street

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photos by Derek Michalski

Upper Saddle River NJ, Stop Work Orders Issued on Former Apple Ridge and One Lake Street:  On Thursday, July 11, 2019, we had a significant rain event with flash flood warnings in effect.  Our Construction Official and Borough Administrator were on site at the former Apple Ridge site and witnessed runoff onto Carlough Road.  Hay that was in use to restrict runoff, had been swept off the property by the force of the rain and clogged the storm drains.  DPW was called in as well.  The hay was removed to clear the drains and sand bags placed. A portion of the silt fence had fallen down.  This project is under the jurisdiction of the NJ DEP (who has stated they consider the site fully remediated and the matter closed) and the Bergen County Soil Conservation District.

Continue reading Stop Work Orders Issued on Former Apple Ridge and One Lake Street
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AG GOES AFTER SOUTH RIVER WATER DEPARTMENT FOR FALSIFYING WATER PURITY TESTING

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pictured Pleasant Brook

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Upper Saddle River NJ, perhaps the Boroughs of Saddle River ,Upper Saddle River and Mahwah could have a talk to the New Jersey AG about Apple Ridge .

Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal announced that the licensed operator of the South River Water Department, the public drinking water system for South River Borough in Middlesex County, was arrested today and charged with submitting false water samples and records to a lab that tests such samples for coliform bacteria for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).

Robert Baker, 56, of Mine Hill, N.J., was arrested early this morning and charged with a violation of the Safe Drinking Water Act, a third-degree crime.  He was charged in an investigation by the Division of Criminal Justice Specialized Crimes Bureau, the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office, and the South River Police Department.

Continue reading AG GOES AFTER SOUTH RIVER WATER DEPARTMENT FOR FALSIFYING WATER PURITY TESTING
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MARSHALL GRUPP ANNOUNCES CANDIDACY FOR MAYOR OF UPPER SADDLE RIVER

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Democratic Slate Includes Marc Garbar, Leandra Galasso for Town Council

UPPER SADDLE RIVER, NJ ,A Democratic ticket led by mayoral candidate Marshall Grupp will be challenging Upper Saddle River’s incumbent Republicans in November’s mayoral and town council election, the candidates announced Tuesday.

Grupp is joined on the USR Forward ticket by council candidates Marc Garbar and Leandra Galasso. Grupp, Garbar and Galasso said they were compelled to run for public office to address the urgent challenges confronting Upper Saddle River as a result of the current mayor and council’s neglect and mismanagement—including the escalating environmental hazards threatening the community from the Apple Ridge and 1 Lake Street developments—and to restore fiscal responsibility, sound financial practices, transparency and accountability to USR’s government.

Continue reading MARSHALL GRUPP ANNOUNCES CANDIDACY FOR MAYOR OF UPPER SADDLE RIVER
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36th Annual Torch Run for Special Olympics New Jersey

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the staff of the Ridgewood Blog

Upper Saddle River NJ, Reminder that tomorrow June 7 we will be participating in the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics. Expect delays and road closures on Lake Street between Mountainview Road and West Saddle River Road as well as West Saddle River Road between Old Chimney and Allendale Road. Over 300 students from USR will be running with our Police Officers this year!!!!

Law enforcement officers from around the State of New Jersey will run with the Flame of Hope in the 36th Annual Torch Run for Special Olympics New Jersey. Over 3,000 officers will be taking part as either runners, escort or volunteers to not only raise money but to also bring awareness of and for the athletes. The run will culminate at The College of New Jersey on Friday night at the opening ceremonies of the SONJ Summer Games. The Flame of Hope will light the cauldron to start the games! An amazing site to behold. If you are in the area at 7pm, stop and see the event. It will change your life forever!

For more information or to donate, go to https://www.njtorchrun.org/ or www.SONJ.org

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Starting Monday Expect Delays on Lake Street in Upper Saddle River

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Upper Saddle River NJ, the Upper Saddle River Police are issuing a traffic Alert: June 3rd – June 7th.

Next week starting on Monday morning, there will be utility work on Lake Street in the area of Mountainview Road. Work is scheduled to take place all week. Lane closures are expected to cause heavy delays. Please plan an alternate route. Use caution when traveling in the area and please follow all directions of traffic control devices and officers.

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“Clean Water Action” Goes Door to Door in Upper Saddle River

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Upper Saddle River NJ, Upper Saddle River Police , issues and important message door-to-door solicitors/canvassing. The irony is not lost to the Ridgewood blog , that while its OK to collect money for “Clean Water Action” the Toll Brothers site at Apple Ridge continues to dump run off into local water ways and hardly a politician has raised a finger, despite environmental damage to Pleasant Brook and Saddle River. 

Continue reading “Clean Water Action” Goes Door to Door in Upper Saddle River
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The Best Politicians Money Can Buy

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Upper Saddle River NJ, over the last year the Ridgewood blog has reported on the run off from the Toll Brothers owned Apple Ridge site . We have run post after post and noticed at the end of the day no one , not even the NJDEP was willing to do anything about it what so ever .

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Today we may have found out why . Going back over 3 decades starting with Jim “tax toilet paper” Florio ,Boswell Engineering the engineering firm on the Apple Ridge project has flooded New Jersey politicians with donation after donation. Greasing the wheels of the political process  or paying for protection Boswell Engineering has given generously to both side of the isle .

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NJDEP Delays Expanded C1 Stream Protections

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Upper Saddle River NJ, The DEP continues to delay adoption of new rules upgrading 749 miles of waterways to Category One streams. They have extended the public comment period another month to June 3, providing more time for opponents to organize their fight against the proposal. The C1 designation offers the highest level of protection for water quality.

Continue reading NJDEP Delays Expanded C1 Stream Protections
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Saddle and Upper Saddle River Fire Departments Respond to Car Fire

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photo Courtesy of Saddle River Fire Department

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Saddle River NJ, The Saddle River Fire Dept was dispatched for a fully envolved car fire on Friday evening April 19th on Rt 17. Saddle River Units 1130, 1140, 1131, 1141, and from Upper Saddle River Fire Department 1240, 1233 responded. Crews went right to work and attacked the fully envolved vehicle.

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Runoff From Toll Brother Site Destroys Easter Celebrations in Upper Saddle River

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Upper Saddle River NJ, while New Jersey politicians plunder the state and spend their days contriving new schemes to raise your taxes, the NJ DEP is left ineffectual against polluters.

Derek Michalski of GreenUSR said,” Easter celebrations in GreenUSR has been ruined for the second year in a row!!! I never wished anyone to go to hell but if anybody deserve it it would be Chris Gaffney for his decision to allow its workers to pump heavy mud second year in a row during Holy Week. Shame on him, shame on Toll Brothers and Toll Brothers’ apologists. “

Posted by Derek Michalski on Sunday, April 21, 2019

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Wednesdays Strong Winds Whips Up Dust Storm At Apple Ridge

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by Derek Michalski

Upper Saddle River NJ, Strong winds in Upper Saddle River and lack of dust control by Toll Brothers created another environmental violation: dust pollution. Plume of dust covered on Wednesday April 3, 2019 neighboring homes in the vicinity of Apple Ridge former golf course a/k/a “Preserve”. USRPD Police officer Hausch witnessed with me gusts of wind blowing construction dust into my car, his car and all over the neighborhood. At the scene I run also into USR Borough Director James Dougherty who stated that he was only the “middle man” and it wasn’t up to him but up to Boswell to supervise the situation. When I asked him why there were no dust control trucks on this 100 plus acres of desert (btw required by law) he just said “have a nice day” and left the construction scene.

Continue reading Wednesdays Strong Winds Whips Up Dust Storm At Apple Ridge