HAWTHORNE

Report on drainage presented to council

Focuses on new Wyckoff development

BY CHRISTIAN WELCH
Staff Writer

A Wyckoff resident presented an independent report concerning storm water drainage deriving from a proposed development along the Goffle Brook in Wyckoff to the mayor and council in Hawthorne at the Aug. 1 meeting.

Brian Scanlan, whose property borders the Goffle Brook, said he felt it was important to inform council members of the potential drainage problems this proposed development might cause downstream in Hawthorne if the site, known as Barrister at Deep Brook, is constructed as currently designed.

"If the developer were to build on the property as proposed there will be a significant increase in storm water runoff flowing into Hawthorne. I would encourage you guys to look very carefully at this issue;" he said.

Scanlan noted the proposed development at Barrister at Deep Brook calls for nine separate homes to be constructed on 12 acres of land located off of Grandview Avenue in Wyckoff. He said these 12 acres are one of the few remaining large parcels of land that run along with Goffle Brook in Wyckoff.

"This is one of the last large tracts of land along an important tributary to the Goffle Brook," said Scanlan. He told council members the project is currently under review by Wyckoff's Planning Board, which plans on discussing the project at its next regular meeting on Aug. 8.

According to the report, which was written by the consulting firm Princeton Hydro of Voorhees, if Barrister at Deep Brook is constructed as proposed the development's storm water drainage system will be able collect 30 percent of the infiltration volume of water during a rainstorm. State regulations require 100 percent of the infiltration volume of water be collected.

In response to Scanlan's statements, Councilman Richard Goldberg said council members have informed Mayor Patrick Botbyl and the town's administration they are concerned about development projects in Wyckoff that will affect water drainage downstream in Hawthorne.

"We have mentioned to the administration that we are concerned about what is happening in Wyckoff;" Goldberg said, noting Hawthorne and Wyckoff share the same engineering company, Boswell Engineer of South Hackensack.

He added if a project being developed in Wyckoff would somehow impact residents of Hawthorne in a negative way, he would hope Boswell Engineering would inform council members at no additional cost to the town's taxpayers.

Goldberg explained it is up to Botbyl and his administration to send representative's to Wyckoff meetings to protect the interests of Hawthorne.

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