Paramus Wetlands Owner Seeks $14 Million In Federal Suit

The owner of the "Paramus Wetlands" property, a former town dump on which a developer hoped to build a 144-unit complex, has filed a federal suit against Paramus seeking $14 million in damages, NorthJersey.com reported.

Also named in the suit are two neighbors of the site off Soldier Hill Road, Mark Distler and Ed Onorato, who created the "Save Paramus Wetlands" group and who Shamrock Creek LLC claims manipulated public opinion, the site reported.

The suit is the latest salvo in a battle over the development of the contaminated site that has been ongoing for several years. In January, the Department of Environmental Protection to build within 300 feet of Soldier Hill Brook, a protected waterway that drains into the Oradell Reservoir.

DEP Commissioner Bob Martin ruled at the time that the development would irrevocably disturb the area near the brook, agreeing with Administrative Law Judge Barry E. Moscowitz, who also denied Shamrock Creek's applications for stream encroachment and freshwater wetlands permits.

Distler said at the time that Martin's ruling was a crippling blow.

"If you applied the 300-foot buffer, it would really take away up to 50% of the proposal," he said.

The site is contaminated with arsenic, lead, barium and zinc. Developer JDME had hoped to build a senior development called "Enchantment of Paramus."

Residents argue that the area of the proposed development would displace wildlife and lead to flooding in their homes.