Westwood Officials Approve Pascack Brook Engineering Study

Council members unanimously approved a resolution Tuesday officially approving an engineering study of the Pascack Brook, Woodcliff Lake and Oradell reservoirs and dams.

The governing bodies in Oradell and River Vale have also approved resolutions to participate in the study, formally agreeing to pay one-10th of the cost, which has been estimated at $7,000, Westwood Mayor John Birkner Jr. said. He added that other mayors have expressed their support and will be bringing the topic up to their governing bodies at future meetings.

Birkner said he believed the study is a "really sensible approach" and the next step to change in the area.

"I'm very pleased to see that our neighboring municipalities, and even those not so close to us, agree with that," he said.

According to Birkner, officials in Montville have asked about the study because that area has similar issues with United Water regarding the Boonton reservoir and dam and the Rockaway River. He said officials there plan to conduct a similar study to the one Westwood has proposed.

Birkner said he attended a Bergen County League of Municipalities meeting and discussed the engineering study at length. A member of the Board of Public Utilities (BPU) was in attendance and Birkner said he indicated the BPU would support any position the borough brought to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) with regard to United Water permits. Birkner has said he hopes the study reveals different business practices United Water can use to help mitigate flooding that has occurred several times in Westwood and surrounding areas in the past year.

Another area related to flooding is Blue Acres funding, which is available to homeowners whose houses are in flood prone areas and want to sell. Birkner said he still has officials investigating the two types of applications and hopes to provide further details and have a discussion about them at the Oct. 4 council work session meeting.

Between now and then, Birkner said Construction Official Armand Marini will go to Wayne to see how the process was handled there, OEM Director Darren Blankenbush will discuss how that department can act on behalf of the borough with the county OEM and Borough Administrator Robert Hoffmann will coordinate with Rep. Scott Garrett's office and and the state DEP to talk about how funding can be implemented.

Councilwoman Cynthia Waneck said she didn't want to wait to let homeowners know officials wouldn't object to a Blue Acres application. She said other municipalities have opposed individual applications, essentially blocking the transactions.

Birkner explained that there are two types of applications for Blue Acres funding -- one done on an individual level where the homeowner applies alone and another when a municipality submits an application on behalf of a group of homeowners. The latter would require much more work on the part of the borough and Birkner said he wasn't yet sure what exactly it would entail, which is why he wanted to wait until Oct. 4 for the governing body to render a decision.

During the meeting, officials came to a consensus that the council wouldn't oppose an individual Blue Acres application. They will continue discussion on the issue at the next meeting, scheduled for Oct. 4.