preserve graydon coalition's meeting on march 23, 2010

Preserve Graydon Coalition meeting: March 23, 2010

Preserve Graydon Coalition


Two-year construction was planned


Ping-pong table needed

Parks and Rec would like a ping-pong table for Graydon.

If you have one to donate, let us know:

[email protected]

We will coordinate with Parks and Rec to pick it up.


Graydon Photos for Calendar

• Let us know at [email protected]

• We’ll need written releases from anyone recognizable in the photos

mailto:[email protected]


Graydon Pool Committee

• Met 10 times over 7 months

• Suzanne a member since October 2009

• Experts presented many, many ideas in water treatment and pool design


Committee Accomplisments

• We’re tackling all the major issues at Graydon

– Natural chemical treatment plan • In addition to chlorine

– Improved waterfowl action plan

– Improved grade of sand for water clarity

– And more—all without a Request For Proposals (RFP)


Why is there a push for RFP?

• It is unnecessary if water quality is the true goal– We’re making dramatic progress without it– Top experts are happy to share their

knowledge for free

• We’re already achieving excellent water quality without an RFP


We’re told RFP is a casual thing

• This is what Suzanne is told:– The RFP is not a request for constructing a

new facility, but merely a way of “getting all sorts of ideas that we might be unaware of”

• That’s hard to believe • Engineers say this RFP does one thing:

solicit proposals for a new facility• It does not ask for ideas; only designs for

a new facility with specific costs attached


The Council can reject the RFP

• Or it can issue the RFP but reject the designs that come in

• But who will be on the Council then?• We hope, the pro-Graydon candidates (whom

you’ll meet later) but we must be prepared

• Election: May 11• Cronk/Dowd want a “change” at Graydon• Paul Aronsohn has been outspoken about a

concrete pool• 3 votes would decide


RFP is step toward contract for concrete facility

• Expensive: at least $8m, probably much more

• Insensitive with the economy and job cuts being contemplated


Our response to RFP

• If a Council vote is planned, we will ask you to protest

• We will let you know

• Graydon’s new water treatments make it clean. We don’t need an RFP for that


Water treatment plan

• AQ-C28– Bio-organic catalyst– Destroys organic material– In 2010 will be used before season begins to

clean the sand bottom

– It also removes biofilm


What’s biofilm?

• Where 99% of bacteria hide• That means only 1% is usually destroyed

in any pool• Chlorine can’t get to the 99%

• Unless AQ-C28 is used, that is• Then even smaller amounts of chlorine

can work efficiently to kill bacteria that were “hiding”


Visibility improved with AQ-C28


Trihalomethanes (THMs)

• Formed when chlorine and organic material combine

• Possibly carcinogenic in high amounts– Standards for drinking water <= 80 ppb– No standards for recreational bathing (pools) yet

• Concrete pools usually don’t test for THMs• Graydon is tested because DEP cares about the

groundwater– So Graydon’s water has an extra measure of safety– See next slide for 2009’s excellent lab reports


Excellent THM test results for 2009• Safe, low readings even with August’s chlorine

pump malfunction. ZERO in June/July


Waterfowl management

• 2009: used trained dog service in summer– They scare the geese away– It worked so well that…

• 2010: dogs to be usedyear-round

• Ducks– Please don’t feed them– Please throw food scraps in garbage cans


Heavier sand = clearer water

• Graydon’s traditional light, fine sand got churned up by swimmers, causing cloudiness (turbidity)

• Larger-grained sand will be used this year– It is heavier and will settle more quickly

• We’re looking forward to seeing the resulting clarity


Disinfection

“to free from infection, especially by destroying harmful

microorganisms”


Graydon seems to meet that definition

• “to free from infection, especially by destroying harmful microorganisms”


But I just read…

• “The Ridgewood Pool Project recommends that the Village of Ridgewood convert the Graydon facility to a traditional swimming pool, thereby allowing disinfecting chemicals to be used against bacteria in the water.”– RPP Final Report, July 1, 2009


We checked the claims

• We asked the Village for any documents indicating that Graydon cannot be treated for bacteria.

• The response: “no document” indicates it.


But what about disinfection?Is that different?

• “The Ridgewood Pool Project recommends that the Village of Ridgewood convert the Graydon facility to a traditional swimming pool, thereby allowing disinfecting chemicals to be used against bacteria in the water.”– RPP Final Report, July 1, 2009

Graydon’s bacteria readings are low, very low, so what’s the problem?


RPP’s logic: chlorine is not a “disinfecting chemical”

• The chlorine permit at Graydon specifies algae control. It doesn’t mention disinfection.


I get it!

• Oh, so even though chlorine is a chemical that disinfects, it’s not a “disinfecting chemical.”

• Clever!


Don’t fall for word games

• If anyone tells you that Graydon isn’t disinfected, or that it can’t be treated for bacteria, look them in the eye, tell them you saw the excellent test results.

• The Village Health Department has all the records, so check with them if you have any questions.


Water Safety


Ripple effect• Even in a “clear” concrete pool, ripples

make underwater activity invisible

• Phenomenon is well known to lifeguards


Finances


$millions were planned for 2009/10


Finances

• Graydon Finances– In 2009 the Village subsidized Graydon by about $140,000. If

divide by 25,000 residents = $5.60/person (tax-deductible, so is actually less)

– Paramus’s 2009 concrete deficit: $300,000

• Proposed RPP concrete pool finances– Even if succeeded in getting 6000 members * $150/badge =

$900,000 revenue - $633,000 bond payments = $267,000 for operations

– Stony Brook costs $717,100/year.– In that case, deficit of $450,100.


Village debt service is already high• 2008: debt service third costliest non-

school Village service


Graydon badges in 2010

Membership is key to sustaining Graydon


BUY a badge

• GraydonPool.com

• We are working with the Village

• Show your support, civic pride. Protects village from flooding, too

• Support Graydon with a badge

• Show the Village you care in these tough economic times


Graydon web page

• We anticipate more information added by Village soon

• Page could describe Graydon and tout its improvements, for example. Stony Brook’s site does that

• We will help if asked


Badge rules

• Ridgewood, Midland Park, Ho-Ho-Kus– No early bird for Midland Park and HHK

• Other towns: eligible if sponsored by resident of one of the three towns above

• “Sponsor” friends from other towns. Up to 250 badges


Environmental Regulations and the Mystery of the

Ho-Ho-Kus BrookGraydon Pond controls floods

and is hydraulically associated with groundwater and the adjacent HHK Brook

DEP protects these functions


Origins of Graydon Pond

• Was a wet, marshy area• Watering place for farm animals• 1910: Samuel Dayton Graydon

donated land, including section of Ho-Ho-Kus Brook, to Village

• Officials dreamed of a “Municipal Lake”

• 1926: Dredged to create ice skating pond

• 1931: Dug deeper for swimming

Samuel D. Graydon


Applicable regulations

• Flood Hazard Area (100-year flood limit)– Permit required to do any development here

• “Zero net fill” requirement must be met• If you add material, must remove equal amount

• Storm Water Management– Permit required if impervious area increased

by more than ¼ acre

• State Open Water– Graydon behaves like a natural pond, filling to level of

groundwater – Permit required in order to fill in State Open Water


Ridgewood has a flooding problem

• Buildings and paved surfaces prevent rainwater from percolating into the ground

• Water drains over land instead

• It goes into the Ho-Ho-Kus Brook, which overflows its banks

• Development has occurred in the natural flood plain of the brook


Flood Damage OrdinanceOrdinance No. 1914, Chapter 154: (http://www.ecode360.com/?

custId=RI1200)

The flood hazard areas of the Village of Ridgewood are subject to periodic inundation which results in loss of life and property, health and safety hazards, disruption of commerce and governmental services, extraordinary public expenditures for flood protection and relief and impairment of the tax base, all of which adversely affect the public health, safety and general welfare.

These flood losses are caused by the cumulative effect of obstructions in areas of special flood hazard which increase flood heights and velocities and, when inadequately anchored, damage uses in other areas. Uses that are inadequately floodproofed, elevated or otherwise protected from flood damage also contribute to the flood loss.

[therefore, this ordinance will…] Ensure that those who occupy the areas of special flood hazard assume responsibility for their actions.


Graydon is in Flood Hazard Area

• Specifically, within the flood fringe and 100-year-flood limit

• During a big storm, the brook will overflow into these areas

• Let’s look at the big DEP flood map– (Sorry to those reading this later at home)


Graydon is anti-flood resource

• Emergency Services department is discussing the draining of the pond before big storms as part of Emergency Operations plan– Graydon then becomes a stormwater management

basin

• Graydon can protect life and property year-round

• For example, pond happened to be drained before the Nor’easter of March 12-13, 2010


Lots of water, March 14, 2010


Flood Hazard Area rules

• FHA limit (100-yr flood line + 25% in area) since 2007

• Why new FHA rules?– Because of all the recent floods

• 35% of NJ is in a flood zone

• “Flooding is NJ’s #1 Natural Hazard.” – FEMA


Zero Net Fill in FHA• "Fill" (verb) To deposit or place material on the surface of the

ground and/or under water.• "Fill" (noun) The material being deposited or placed. Fill includes,

but is not limited to, concrete, earth, pavement, rock, sand, soil, structures or any stored material such as buiding material, construction equipment, landscaping material, piles of soil, stone or wood, trash, vegetation in planters and/or root balls, and vehicles. Fill does not include vegetation rooted in the ground, whether naturally occurring or planted

• "Hydraulic capacity" means the ability of a channel, flood hazard area or structure to conduct water. Hydraulic capacity is a function of cross-sectional area, hydraulic friction, shape, skew, slope and the presence or absence of obstructions.


What research did the Village do?• Village representatives, including Mayor Pfund, met with

consultant LAN Associates and DEP Land Use in June 2008 to determine broad parameters for what could be built on the Graydon site

• LAN said the Village could build a concrete pool if it:– used the summertime water level as starting point for net fill.– could remove soil from Maple Park property to balance the

addition of fill at Graydon• OR lower the summertime water level of “pond feature.”• They claimed Graydon is an “isolated bowl.”

• We believe Graydon Pond is not isolated.• It’s connected to the underlying aquifer (groundwater)

and very likely the brook as well.


Connection to Ho-Ho-Kus Brook

• The HHK Brook is protected by DEP • It is a tributary of the Saddle River, a

Category One waterway

• Is Graydon connected to the Brook?

• In 2008, the Village’s environmental consultant told the DEP “no.” We did our own research.


DEP map shows a diagonal blue line


Blue diagonal line with aerial photo


“Unnamed tributary” to the brook?


We checked old maps for clues

• 1930 photo: Notice the bend of Ho-Ho-Kus Brook


Old maps show different shape

• 1881 topo-graphical map shows brook’s straight line, not a bend


1906 vs. 1911 (Sanborn maps)

1906: straight line. 1911: bend


Our hypothesis

• Graydon Pond is where the brook was before 1911

• Where the brook once flowed, a vestige remains• This vestige manifests as a preferential pathway

(that diagonal blue line) for the brook’s water to flow as groundwater and feed the pond

• This implies a hydraulic connection between Graydon and the Ho-Ho-Kus Brook

• Not ordinary groundwater—a “preferential path”


Water follows the most direct path• If you were the brook, which underground

path would you take?


Field tests can confirmhydraulic connection

• Advance soil borings

• Inject dyes into the groundwater

• Look for stream-bed soils under the pond

• It’s expensive but the only way to be sure

• We would ask the Village to do this prior to considering any permit applications


What these regulations mean

• Strict rules might very well prevent any concrete facility at Graydon

• Even if something could be built, the design options for a concrete pool at Graydon would be severely limited– Any design that could get approved would be

aesthetically and functionally compromised• Example: depth limited to 4 feet, in one rendering

• If permits were somehow obtained, the Village would lose valuable stormwater management capacity. That means more flooding.


Cautionary tale

• Oregon town built concrete pool over an aquifer


Daria’s flood in ‘99

• Vesta Court, approaching flood waters.

• They shot video starting while water was 15’ away till it was 5’.

• Then packed up children and left!


Two candidates for Council

• (in alphabetical order)

• Tom Riche

• Bernie (Bernadette) Walsh

• They are running as individuals

• Both want to keep Graydon natural


Register to vote


Here’s the application


Spread the word—support our cause

Shop at GraydonStore.org


Questions

• [email protected]

• Join e-mail list: http://www.PreserveGraydon.org/join

• Donate http://www.PreserveGraydon.org/donateor PO Box 354, Ridgewood, NJ 07451

http://www.preservegraydon.org/join

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preserve graydon coalition's meeting on march 23, 2010

News & Politics

proposals rfp

graydon photos

graydon pool committee

drinking water

water clarity

pool chlorine

new facility

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