County of Bergen– NJ DCA Resilient Communities Program Public Hearing

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COUNTY OF BERGEN
PUBLIC NOTICE


On or before September 30, 2026, the County of Bergen will submit an application to the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, Division of Disaster Recovery and Mitigation, for funding through the Resilient Communities Grant Program for Fiscal Year 2026 in an amount not to exceed $5,000,000. Funding for the Resilient Communities Program is provided through HUD’s Community Development Block Grant–Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) Program, as appropriated by Congress. The proposed project will be made possible by CDBG-DR funding and will include the restoration and enlarging of Walden Pond. The project will take place within Van Saun County Park located at 216 Forest Ave, Paramus, NJ 07652.

There will be a public hearing for said application scheduled for Wednesday, September 16th , 2026 at 7:00PM to be held in the Fifth Floor Public Meeting Room at 1 Bergen County Plaza in Hackensack, NJ 07601. Public comments on the aforementioned application will be accepted for a fourteen-day period after the public hearing is held and must be submitted to the County by September 30th, 2026. Comments about the project or requests for a copy of the application can be directed to Deputy Director of Parks Cheryl Krouse at CKrouse@bergencountynj.com or 201-336-7265. Accommodations for non-English speaking citizens will be made with advanced notice.

Additional Project Details: Restoration and Enlargement of Walden Pond

Project Goals: The goal of the project is restore and enlarge Walden Pond by over 54,000 square feet by making key green infrastructure upgrades to the site to mitigate flooding concerns of County residents living downstream.
Description of Geography to be Impacted (Directly or Indirectly): There are no anticipated impacts to geography, and the only site impacted will be the project site within Van Saun County Park located at 216 Forest Ave, Paramus, NJ 07652. The site is already cleared so as to require minimal, if any, impact.
Site Development and Anticipated Impacts: The project site developed is Walden Pond located within Van Saun County Park located at 216 Forest Ave, Paramus, NJ 07652. The proposed site development includes dredging and expanding the pond by over 54,000 square feet, installing green infrastructure basins in parking areas upstream, repaving of pathways and parking areas, and installation of a new pedestrian bridge.
Description of Funding Source: Funding for the Resilient Communities Program is provided through HUD’s Community Development Block Grant–Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR)
Program, as appropriated by Congress. The proposed project will be made possible by CDBGDR funding and will include the restoration and enlarging of Walden Pond.
Funding Requested: $5,000,000
Date by which Comments Must be Made: Public comments on the aforementioned application will be accepted for a fourteen-day period after the public hearing is held and must be submitted to the County by September 30th, 2026.
Contact Person for Application: A copy of the application can be obtained by contacting Deputy Director of Parks Cheryl Krouse at CKrouse@bergencountynj.com or 201-336-7265. Accommodations for non-English speaking citizens will be made with advanced notice.