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Texaco to be razed
(by Ryan Levinsohn - July 08, 2008)
The unsightly, boarded up Texaco station property at the corner of Kinderkamack Road and Grand Avenue will be level to grade with top soil by Labor Day according to Antimo Del Vecchio, attorney for the property owner.
The announcement came at the July 1 planning board meeting. Mayor Fyfe was not present due to back injuries that manifested during Montvale’s Day in the Park, however Chairman John DePinto conveyed the mayor’s delight that a resolution was finally in sight.
DePinto said the mayor was very happy when “he received word on a particular project that he has been very, very concerned about over the years, serving as a councilman and then as mayor and one that he committed to move forward with was to… have that Texaco station removed. He believed it’s an eye sore to the community. It’s a detriment to the community.”
Del Vecchio told the board that two newly discovered underground tanks would have to be removed along with any contaminated dirt surrounding them.
“They weren’t dug up but we are assuming that there was some leak under the tanks because we didn’t know they existed, which means they are pretty old and anything underground that long, we just assume will leak,” Del Vecchio said. “They will pull whatever soil out in the area of the tank until they hit clean dirt.”
Del Vecchio revealed that two contracts were signed. One contract is with AWT Environmental Services, Inc. to demolish the building and another with Whitestone Associates, Inc. to clean the possibly contaminated land. According to Del Vecchio the deposit has been paid for the demolishing of the building and the whole contract has been paid to clean up the contaminated land.
To show appreciation to the property owner and save him from a further financial burden of hiring consultants, the board tabled any further discussion on the matter until its Sept. 2 meeting, with the hope that the property will be cleaned up by then.
“I believe I can wait another couple more months to hold this off but if nothing happens by Sept. 2, I’d be screaming,” board member Frank Stefanelli said.
“Work is slated to begin in three weeks, assuming it will take us about a week after the notice expires to secure a permit from this building department to complete the soil remediation,” Del Vecchio said. “So we envision that actual site work will happen by the end of this month and it be completed within 30 days thereafter.”
Del Vecchio said that the only delay he would anticipate is a delay in the DEP issuing two “no further action” notices. NFAs are issued by the DEP as evidence that the property has been cleaned.
In addition, Del Vecchio said that there is an interested party to develop on the property.
“While I am not at liberty to disclose the details, we have a second user who is very close to signing a ground lease for this property as well to materialize and ultimately develop it and make use of the property,” Del Vecchio said.
DePinto gave credit to the board, professional planner Richard Preiss for completing a redevelopment report, the property owner, and particularly the mayor for finally having a resolution.
“I spoke to the mayor and he relayed to me that of all issues since he took office in January, he has had more grief with this property than any other property or any other issue,” said board member Robert Regan.
Last week’s meeting was the latest chapter in a long saga that has affected the borough. The property, abandoned since 1990, was deemed by board resolution 96-2005 three years ago as “an area in need of redevelopment” which allowed the property to be condemned and forced the owners to sell. In 2006, 10 underground storage tanks were unearthed, some with petroleum products, and that was believed to be the last of the tanks. In 2007 there was talk of Starbucks developing the property but it never came to fruition.
The discussion ended with a thank you to property owner, Gerald Borchers.
“I personally would like to thank him for his cooperation,” DePinto said. “I know it’s been a long battle, it’s been very difficult. He inherited a lot of the problems that exist on the property and he is trying to work his way through it. I thank you on behalf of the borough, and more particularly on [behalf of] the mayor.”
| Comments (1) |
On July 12, 2008 Russel said:
Sad to see another old business from Montvale facing the wrecking ball.
I was born and raised in Montvale when it was a beautiful and quaint town where everybody knew each other. Troubling to see what it has turned into, just another affluent suburb of NYC.
We lived on the top of Akers Avenue in a house my dad built in 1955 and my grandparents lived next door, my father was born in Brooklyn and was raised in Park Ridge, graduated from PRHS in 1942. My older brother and younger sister went through the Montvale schools, Gerald Borchers was in many of my classes while growing up. I went on to make a career out of the Air Force and in 1995 moved back to Montvale, to take care of my father and work in the civilian sector. My father, now 84 with failing health, sold the house on Akers in 2006 and moved to southern AZ so he could be closer to his younger brother, all of 73 years. We bought a 20 acre ranch south of Tucson at an elevation of 4500 feet, less traffic, no pollution and year round moderate temperatures. I still miss Montvale I had some great memories but sorry to see what it has turned into.
One correction to your article as you had stated "The property, abandoned since 1990" is not true. My family and I moved back into the area in 1995 and Gerald was still pumping gas through 1996.
Thanks
Russel Buchanan |
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