Borough officials have authorized the Department of Public Works to clean up and fence off a site purchased several years ago for a townhouse development that has lied dormant ever since.
The property, Block 18, Lot 14 at 731 Morton Street, is just under an acre. When developer Adventure Realty, LLC purchased the property several years ago it planned to build townhouses. The company received approval to build 15 units, according to Councilman Jeff Lahullier. However, after demolishing the building previously on the site, the company never proceeded with its plans. Now, several years and several letters from the ordinance enforcer later, the borough has decided to clean up the site and place a lien on it.
According to borough officials, the site is a threat and an eyesore for nearby residents. The site still has piles of debris from the demolished building as well as trash and overgrown weeds.
"It’s becoming a dump site in people’s backyards," said Councilman Ed Ravettine who sought approval for the Department of Public Works (DPW) to clean up the site at the June 19 meeting of the mayor and council.
There is also an exposed roughly 10-foot deep pit about 20 feet from the property line, according to Alan DeRosa, the superintendent of the DPW. Though the DPW hasn’t cleaned up the site as of yet, workers did cover the pit with plywood and surround it with a small barricade to prevent anyone from falling in.
"We’re going to be putting a fence around it to prevent dumping and to keep residents safe," said DeRosa.
DeRosa said he hasn’t gotten a formal estimate and will soon make the decision to either have the DPW clean up the property or hire a private contractor. He estimated the project will cost between $25,000 and $30,000.
Whatever the cost, the borough will then place a lien on the property for that amount, requiring the owners to pay back the money before any future work can go on.
"People dump on it," said a nearby resident. "You see all kinds of stuff on there."
Giovanni Salerno, a resident of nearby Carlton Avenue, said the property has been a vacant lot ever since he moved to East Rutherford four years ago.
Another resident of nearby Chadwick Street said local kids play on the lot around the piles of rubble or cut through it to get from one street to another. However, he doesn’t mind.
"Right now I prefer an empty lot [to the planned townhouse development]," he said. "No neighbors, no problems."
DeRosa said he hopes to clear the site by the end of August.
