Conversion of N. Caldwell Basin Starting to Bud

Plans continue for a North Caldwell skating pond and a garden of wild flowers in a detention basin at the foot of The Estates at Hilltop at the corner of Mountain Avenue and Arbor Road.

Frank Zichelli, the borough's engineer and director of public works, said this week that the beautification of the area is ongoing with the wild flower seeds that were planted in May beginning to sprout.

"Wild flowers take about two to three years to come in," Zichelli explained. "They're just starting to show, but will continue to come in over the next few years."

The borough acquired the detention basin and adjacent parking lot in January from K. Hovnanian, the developers of the estates, and had hoped to convert the area into a man-made pond for ice skating late last winter.

Those plans have been pushed back to this coming winter, while wild flowers will soon engulf the area during the warm-weather months.

The borough received a grant from the county to develop the skating pond and will use run-off water, resulting in no cost to the taxpayers, Mayor Mel Levine said.

"If you ride by now, it's germinated, there are buds on all the flowers. The entire basin will be nothing but a mirror of flowers," Levine said. "It will be a beautiful landmark."

Wild flowers were chosen to cut back on maintenance.

"If we kept the grass, it would have to be mowed every week" Zichelli said. "Wild flowers will have to be trimmed in the fall, but they reseed naturally."

During the winter months, the borough is planning to flow water into the basin to form a man-made pond for ice skating. Zichelli said a few final improvements to aid water retention will be completed in the fall and expects to have the area functioning once the temperatures are cold enough.

"Our ultimate plan is to add amenities, including benches," Zichelli said.

Depending on the popularity of the site, Zichelli said a warming hut or other form of structure could be added in the future as well.

However, the fence surrounding the basin will be locked during the summer months, even if there is the presence of future structures or benches. It will not be considered a summer park area, Zichelli said.

Instead, Levine, who had the idea of planting the wild flowers, envisions the area eventually becoming a sort of landmark where residents of Arbor Road can tell friends, "just look for the flowers and turn there, that's where I live."