the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, the Village of Ridgewood has earmarked $1.5 million in its proposed 2025 capital budget to remove contaminated soil from the historic Schedler-Zabriskie property, located at 460 W. Saddle River Road. The project is part of the village’s broader $64.8 million municipal budget introduced this week.
According to Village Manager Keith Kazmark, the contamination affects the entire 1,100-foot-long berm running along Route 17 north, as well as portions of soil previously distributed across the 7-acre property.
Contamination to Be Fully Remediated in 2025
Kazmark confirmed that environmental testing is scheduled for later this spring to determine the full extent of the contamination. The results will guide the soil remediation plan, which is expected to begin following the report’s release.
“We’ll get a report back, and the report will outline exactly what needs to be done from a remediation standpoint,” Kazmark said.
In addition to the 2025 cleanup, $350,000 had already been allocated in the 2024 capital budget for soil testing and archaeological studies on the site.
Field Development Plans on Hold Amid Environmental Concerns
Plans to build an adult-sized, multi-purpose artificial turf field north of the historic Zabriskie house are now on hold. A revised application to the New Jersey State Office of Historic Preservation, initially submitted in May 2024, is being held “in abeyance” due to the environmental concerns.
To date, the village has already invested $5.4 million in the Schedler site:
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$3 million for property acquisition
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$1.8 million for house restoration
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$671,350 for field and site work
NJ DEP Deems Previous Soil Testing Inadequate
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) criticized earlier soil testing efforts as insufficient. A December 2023 letter from the DEP’s Bureau of Solid Waste Compliance and Enforcement stated that tests were too limited in number and scope, prompting the need for more comprehensive analysis.
Contaminants identified include benzo[a]pyrene, a carcinogenic byproduct commonly found in areas exposed to combustion or cooking.
Protecting History While Ensuring Public Safety
The Schedler-Zabriskie property is a nationally landmarked historic site, designated in 2020 due to its proximity to locations where George Washington quartered troops during the Revolutionary War. Despite its historical significance, a December 2023 archaeological survey reported “no clear evidence of Revolutionary War period activity.”
Still, the village is proceeding cautiously.
“We’re holding weekly meetings with our historical consultant, soil testers, and archaeological experts to ensure any potential artifacts are preserved,” Kazmark said. “It’s too soon to tell what’s going to happen — but we have to remove this dirt.”
Why the Schedler Cleanup Matters
This cleanup marks a pivotal moment in Ridgewood’s efforts to balance environmental responsibility, historic preservation, and community development. Once the contamination is removed and the site remediated, the village can re-evaluate plans for recreational development while protecting the site’s cultural legacy.
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Keith is a slickster…tough to remember his own lies…
I understand.
Didn’t Keith and the current council inherit this mess?
same Village engineer
yes same village engineer AND the same council member for last 4 years! Vaginaos may not have been the Mayor then, but he sure was a council member. So Keith, for christ’s sake, please stop blaming the “previous council”. Paul was part of the “previous council”.
They also inherited the 2018 plan that everyone liked and agreed upon, until the dirtbag and the dingbat pulled their bait and switch.
FYI: It took 4 years to build the Empire State Building.
It’s 16 years and counting at Schedler.
Sad!
Vagianos was part of the council before becoming Mayor. He has proven to be the king of misinformation and a sneaky SOB in my humble opinion. But many people agree which is scary that this guy is the mayor.
This needs to end! We need to do what’s necessary, then not a penny more. It’s just ridiculous.
Ridgewood residents should have a class action lawsuit against the Village engineer
He needs to go.
Why aren’t we suing the entities who gave us the soil?
Caveat emptor…
Not their obligation to test.
They offered the soil, we stupidly took it without testing it.
Ridgewood water dumped numerous spoil piles, knowingly. they trucked snow removal and dumped it. Trucks dumped throughout the night. It isn’t just the known locations. Negligence throughout the process. Vagianos was a councilperson. He KNEW and didn’t push to test that dirt.
They did test the soil however Ridgewood should have retested it, but no that would have been too easy. Logic and reason be dammed.
The other village engineer, JM is not any better!! Thats who well be stuck with when CR retires.
Why would he ever retire?
No more money on this. Remove from the 2025 budget. Stop the insanity.
As a Ridgewood resident nothing would make me happier than to sue the Village of Ridgewood. They just kept drinking them PFAS in the water. And look what we ended up with bunch of soft losers. Democrats need to be held accountable.
Fiasco (see above).
Don’t forget now that the DEP has done there full inspection and report. Guess what we hope. The village has a budget but aside for health lawsuits, we still don’t know if anyone is fully contaminated. This doesn’t just go away. It takes years to multiply in the blood throughout your body, and there’s no time limit on this. The village would love to put this to bed. They would love to put the nails in the coffin on this one. But that’s not gonna happen because I have way too much money & 25 steps out of these shitheads. no one will ever trust the village anymore, they’re all full of shit. The mayor, the council, the manager, the ex-manager, and all of the directors need to be removed. If not, that means the village is condoning their actions. It’s just more for the lawsuit. Like the Rolling Stones song .time is on my side.☠️
It’s at Habernickel too. Trees keep dying in certain areas of that park. Replanted and die again. The grass where the barn was taken down…dead. The whole park needs to be tested