Toll Brothers Upper Saddle River [Apple Ridge, The Preserve, Orchard Ridge] A New Name Doesn’t Change A Thing

There is nothing like driving around Upper Saddle River to see what is going on.

And what a surprise to be found along Carlough Road.

Toll Brothers, clearly trying to dispose of the sordid image of a housing development on toxic soil linked to tainted water that has been dumped down the streams and rivers of Bergen County and beyond, washing toxic contaminants to other unsuspecting communities, Toll Brothers has – once again – renamed (and no doubt hoped to rebrand) their environmentally tarnished luxury development in Upper Saddle River.

What was Apple Ridge – which probably wasn’t  meant to be a permanent name – became The Preserve. One huge Stop Work Order later they probably didn’t want it associated with that name. So, it is now known as Orchard Ridge – The Preserve on the website – or just Orchard Ridge on the signs. Using the name originally given to the Mahwah portion of the development they most likely want the image to be forgotten and started afresh. But with some hints to the old names so that prospective purchasers can find it with the old or new name when they search online. However, there is still the  same questionably remediated soil and toxic water.

Attempting to erase the past – they have shuttered the Facebook page for the Preserve – and updated the website to reflect the new image.

No doubt hoping to blur and bury the information. Pushing it deeper down in the search engines. So in 5 or 10 years when some unsuspecting family discovers a child (or parent) with some questionable diagnosis that can’t be accounted for they can’t easily connect the dots. Time will have pushed the evidence away, washing it down the drain into the brook or aquifer.

But if God forbid there are a few of these families and a little cluster appears – then what?

Toll Brothers can rename and rebrand their development as often as they want. However, the evidence was there, but they stuck it out and got away with it. Score one for the big corporation.

Nothing for the little guy.

How can they sleep at night?

Or the mayor and council?