Can Ridgewood Add Turf Fields To 200-Year-Old Property? State Hearing Set For Thursday

RIDGEWOOD, NJ — Ridgewood officials and residents have spent years debating the addition of athletic fields to a 200-year-old historic property on West Saddle River Road.

And last year's discovery of contamination last year added a new wrinkle. READ MORE: Lead Contamination Latest Roadblock For Ridgewood Plan To Add Ballfield To Historic Land

Plans appeared to move forward again on May 1, when the town said that the Schedler property — which contains a 1825 Dutch home once owned by the farming Zabriskie family — would be cleaned up some time in the future. The updated plans were posted on the town website.

But in late May, the New Jersey Historic Preservation Office, part of the Department of Environmental Protection, sent a letter to the town saying that the development plans represent an "encroachment" on the house.

The state will now hold a hearing on the plans this Thursday, which the public can attend.

Steps And Snags

"Based upon a review of the submitted documentation, Historic Preservation Office staff has determined that ... the proposed undertaking constitutes an encroachment upon the Zabriskie-Schedler House," said a May 29 letter. "The proposed park development involves the construction of a large turf field, parking areas, and associated amenities, which are incompatible with the size, scale, and materials of the historic property and therefore do not meet the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties."

The letter added, "HPO staff determined that the Application was technically and professionally complete and sufficient pursuant to N.J.A.C. 7:4-7.1(d), upon receipt on April 29, 2025, and the project has been placed on the June 19, 2025, agenda of the New Jersey Historic Sites Council (HSC). "

According to the letter, the HSC reviews projects of state, county, and municipal governments that affect properties listed on the New Jersey Register of Historic Places, to advise the Commissioner of the Department of Environmental Protection.

At the meeting on Thursday, the Village of Ridgewood or its consultants will get to present the application, and members of the public may comment.

The HSC will then make a recommendation to the DEP Commissioner.

The meeting was originally set for June 19, but was scheduled, said Viilage Manager Keith Kazmak.

Not A Huge Setback

Kazmak told Patch earlier this year that the town had anticipated that the plans would be deemed an encroachment, and that they anticipate a positive resolution.

"It's sort of like going for a variance to the zoning board," he said. "It's like if you're working on your house, if you're going to go a foot into the setback area, and you have to make your case...Since I've come to Ridgewood, July of 2023, we always knew it would be deemed an encroachment."

The meeting begins at 10 a.m. on Thursday. See the agenda and information here.

Background

The plans have been subject to debate for more than ten years, as preservationists want to protect the historic property.

(In fact, in March, historian George Wright received an award from the New Jersey Historical Commission for his attempts to preserve the Schedler house.)

The town completed a purchase of the property — including the 1825 Dutch home once owned by the farming Zabriskie family — in 2009.

Some historic preservation experts, neighbors, environmentalists, and sparred over whether the house should be moved as part of the project, and what kind of fields or recreational paths and park amenities should be placed on the property.

See a link to residents' petition here.

More Information

The town took public questions about the contamination this past March.

In April, the town budget included $1.5 million for cleanup of the soil.

In May, they sent a revised project to the state. The plans are posted here.

See Village Manager Keith Kazmak's full 9-page "Year End Memo" from late 2024, recapping the project here.