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"Old No. 7, Again, NEW JERSEY EDITORIALS presented by SANDRA EARLEY, CHANNEL 12 Cablevision"

Old No. 7, Again
June 14, 2002
Editorial by Sandra Earley
Channel 12 Cablevision

The fate of Old No. 7 is back in the news.

Old No. 7 is a six-story-tall Allis Chalmers pump that for nearly 100 years sent purified drinking water to communities in Bergen County. The pump is inside the fine old Hackensack Water Company buildings in Oradell. The facility's rich history shows on its face, but its future is in doubt.

Various groups have tried for years to decide about the 13-acre property. The company closed the plant 12 years ago and deeded it to Bergen County. Now, the county wants to demolish all but remnants of the buildings, turning the property into a park.

No way, say preservationists. The National Trust for Historic Preservation recently added the water works to a list of America's most endangered historic sites. In Oradell, the Water Works Conservancy wants the facility for a museum and study center to celebrate the process of providing clean drinking water.

Bergen County Executive Pat Schuber wants to know where the money will come from. He fears a high price tag for the county. He estimates a museum would cost $20 million. The Conservancy's Maggie Harrer says only half that amount is needed, and her group can raise the money once it controls the property. It seems to us there's room here for a compromise.

Because of their historic significance, the water works can't be demolished without permission from State Environmental Protection Commissioner Bradley Campbell.

We hope Campbell will pause the wrecking ball, then help both sides find a compromise that preserves Old No. 7 and its buildings in a financially responsible way.