Redevelopment At Former Bomb-Making Plant Approved In Long Valley

LONG VALLEY, NJ — You may not be aware that the Fairmount section of Washington Township once contained a bomb-making facility on Parker Road.

The development also referred to as the "Cleaveland Industrial Site," has recently come up in discussion because of a potential redevelopment plan that would involve replacing the long-vacant site with a new development.

After several months of conversation and planning, the committee debated the final ordinance approving the official redevelopment plan for 20 Park Road on Monday, June 19.

The Township Committee first approved a resolution authorizing the Planning Board to conduct a preliminary investigation to determine whether the property qualifies for Non-Condemnation Redevelopment in 2021.

Following the referral, the planning board prepared a Preliminary Investigation Report and held a public hearing on April 11, 2022, during which all members of the public had the opportunity to offer their comments regarding the study area.

The Cleveland Industrial Center, a 17.5-acre site on Parker Road, was the subject of a Superfund clean-up by the State of New Jersey and was a candidate for brownfield redevelopment, according to the township's 2009 Master Plan and Development Regulations Reexamination Report.

Since the 1950s, the Cleveland Industrial Center has served as an industrial park. During the 1940s, the site was occupied by a weapons manufacturing plant.

Metals Disintegration Comp. owned the factory, but it was operated by United Wallpaper Inc., a front company to deter any Japanese or German spies who might be interested in a company called Metals Disintegration.

The company was open every day and manufactured napalm bombs used to firebomb Japanese cities, according to the Washington Township Historical Society.

With the adoption of the final ordinance authorizing the redevelopment plan, the site will now be designated as the "Parker Road Redevelopment Zone" on the township zoning map.

Among the permitted uses for the property are:

• Office for business management, executive, professional and administrative purposes.
• Residential use and structures.
• Computer centers, data processing centers and call centers.
• Child-care centers.
• Public uses and buildings, including but not limited to municipal buildings and offices and police, fire, and first aid stations.
• Business and vocational schools, colleges, universities and similar institutions of higher education.
• Houses of worship.
• Commercial sports arena.

A portion of the property has been subdivided to allow for future expansion of the Parker Road Firehouse. According to officials, the Fairmount Fire Company may undertake the subdivision at any time in order to facilitate the expansion of the Fairmount Firehouse.

The Fairmount Fire Company was founded in 1948, and some of its founding members also worked for the Long Valley and Califon Companies.

With over fifty years of continuous service, the Fairmount Fire Company is still an active part of the Fairmount community today.