Waldwick December 7, 2011 THE VILLADOM TIMES III • Page 11 The Borough Park drainage project is an apparent success, and grass is now growing in the area where the work has been completed. Waldwick Borough Administrator Gary Kratz reported last week that the drainage work, which has been completed on half of the property, is in good shape, and is making the unfinished section of the park look worse in comparison. The grass is finally growing at Borough Park “The game plan is to handle the other area in the spring,” the administrator said. The borough council last month approved extending the hydro-seeding project, which is expected to need minimal drainage work and no additional state permits. The engineering estimate for the additional work is $40,000, with funds available from a previous Borough Park project, according to Assistant Administrator Jordan Battisti. Members of the Waldwick Lions Club recently continued their work at the Borough Park playground. Led by Lions Club member Randy Revely and Lions President Mark Stahl, club members met to apply a new coat of protective finish to the hard wood surfaces of the children’s playground. Also boosting the support for the additional work is the fact that the bids for the work now completed were nearly half of what was originally budgeted. Kratz reported that the drainage project experienced a “minor burp” recently after a heavy rain. He explained that filter fabric is in place to keep the drains clear, but one had become clogged with sediment and leaves and failed to drain. “It was looking as if the project had failed, but it was the clog in the filter fabric,” he said. Kratz indicated that no further problems are anticipated, and the Bergen County Soil Conservation District is expected to give its permission for the borough to remove the filter fabric soon. “I’m looking forward to picnics at Bor- ough Park without scuba gear,” quipped Councilman Frank Palladino when the expanded project was approved. The project included installing a drainage system that outflows to the brook and replacing six to eight inches of hardpacked soil with topsoil. An underground sprinkler system was also installed, and the area was hydro-seeded. The grade adjacent to White’s Pond was kept unchanged to minimize the need for expensive New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection permits. Costs were shared equally by a grant from the Bergen County Open Space, Recreation, Farmland & Historic Preservation Trust Fund and the borough’s own Open Space Fund. (continued on page 13)