WWC's Preservation Proposal
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Bergen County's Proposal
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10-acre environmentally restored Park |
10-acre environmentally restored Park |
Environmental programs in Park for all ages, River Ranger program for children to teach stewardship of land and river; seminars for governmental leaders at town, County and state level to demonstrate effect on environment of various governmental decisions. |
"Passive" park |
Walking paths in Park and bird watch overlooks |
Walking paths in Park and bird watch overlooks |
Intact Preservation of National Historic Site and 100 years of technology - steam to electricity |
Demolition of all of Filtration Plant, except 4-story tower;
Demolition of 1882 and 1889 pump house sections saving small "archways" from walls;
Removal of roof of 1911 section of pump house, all doors and windows, saving a "roof" over Old # 7, 4-story Allis Chalmers Steam engine;
Demolition fill in all levels below first floor;Destruction of all historic equipment except Old #7 and #3, leaving #3 outdoors in a formal garden. |
No additional development or construction on Van Buskirk Island |
Construction on Van Buskirk Island of:·
- a concrete 300-seat Amphitheater; ·
- a demolition landfill "knoll;"· a
- "Roman-style ruined garden” with historic steam engine Old # 3, a Corliss Compound Engine as a "sculpture object" left outdoors in wind and weather;
- creation of an new "embayment" open to the river on the site of two-football field size Coagulation Basin.
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No damage to the environment or the River |
New “Embayment” would slow flow of Hackensack River, further damaging flow-compromised river;
Large quantities of garbage that tide brings upriver will become trapped in “Embayment” causing pollution and environmental problems;
Lack of water movement in “Embayment” could create mosquito breeding ground;
Demolition landfill knoll and concrete amphitheater add more impermeable surfaces to island which could contribute to more flooding. |
$6.5 million Cost for First Phase:
Museum Created & Site Stabilized
$ 3.5 million Cost for Second Phase:
Full restoration of equipment and site. |
$9.13 million cost of demolition and new construction, paid by County Taxpayers |
Cost of restoration funded privately by grants from government, Foundations, Corporations, individual donors, membership - at NO COST TO TAXPAYERS |
$9.13 million cost, paid by Bergen County |
Creation of a World Class History, science, technology Museum to tell the story of:·
- The Water Works, the development of the tech-nology and the filtration methods to provide pure, safe water; and ·
- The development of cultures on the river, interacting with the river and its valuable resource – water.Restoration of historic steam equipment, demonstra-tions of running of equipment and exhibits of tech-nology, then and now.
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Storyboards describing what used to exist on site of Waterworks in “Roman-style” ruin with formal garden;
Storage of canoes next to Old # 7 in ruined walls of pump house;Rapidly decaying Old # 7 and #3 historic steam engines. |
Environmental Education Center in restored Filtration Plant with labs and computer center, wet lab and tanks for aquatic study;
Restored Filtration Beds and exhibits demonstrating innovative Rapid Sand Filtration Method that became national and international standard;
Educational Programming K-12, undergraduate and graduate student programs working with WWC scientists, environmental educators and Museum staff. |
County Offices in Filtration Tower |
Hackensack River Research Center utilizing labs, wet labs, park and river to study state of river, its problems and discover solutions. |
Office Space in Filtration Tower |
Cultural Center, using multiple flexible spaces in Museum and Filtration Plant to present concerts, art exhibits, and other cultural events for entire community |
Canoe storage in Ruins of Pump House |
Summer Environmental Camp and Cultural Arts Camp for children in Museum and Park |
Unsupervised 10-acre “passive” Park |
A calm presence of professional museum curators and staff, environmental educators, research scientists and students to protect and oversee the historic site and the environmental park |
10-acre unsupervised “passive” Park, two blocks from New Milford High School, one block from St. Joseph's Elementary School, 9 blocks from RiverDell High School |
Occasional flooding of the Island, but no Flooding in the historic buildings, as flood doors will be designed to protect interior of buildings.
Sump pumps will deal with occasional dampness in lower levels.
In 120 years of plant's existence, interior of buildings flooded only once – during Hurricane Floyd, on County's watch with all flood doors wide open. |
Occasional flooding of entire site with no intervention, no doors or windows or other protection for formal gardens or two historic steam pumps |
