Grand Central Sanitary Landfill caused a home to become uninhabitable, then purchased the property, demolished the home and created Environmental Education Center from the remnants

In 1962, Robert (Bobby) Perin, Frank Fiorot and Ernest (Ernie) Albanese partnered to purchase land on Teel's Hill, a portion of which included what today is Grand Central Sanitary Landfill.

Teel's Hill in center of exerpt of 1874 map

The partners divided the land among themselves.  Perin started a small dump on a few acres of land that was on the north side "over the hill" and Fiorot and Albanese targeted residential uses for their parcels on the south side.  Fiorot's son Michael built a home on land from his father on Grand Central Road, where he lives to this day with his wife.  Ernie and his wife Sairanne built their home also on Grand Central Road, on 16 acres of land adjacent to the Fiorot's lot, and adjacent to land owned by Bobby - the latter the Albaneses would come to regret.  Ernie brought son Kim to the marriage, and Sairanne brought daughter Toni.

1992 aerial shows landfill has encroached on Albanese property

Current Fiorot property at bottom of view

Ernie and Sairanne in happy times

Ernie, Sairanne and Kim Albanese in their home on Teel's Hill

Sairanne and Toni

With grandchildren

The Albaneses built a beautiful home, and a matching detached three-car garage.  The view from the property was initially 360 degrees for as far as the eye could see, over pastoral Plainfield Township farms from the west through south and to the east, and of the Blue Mountain, Wind Gap and Pen Argyl looking from west clockwise to the east.

Sairanne in front of Albanese home on Teel's Hill - looking less cheerful than in earlier days

The small dump of Perin's that started on a few acres in former quarries below the top of Teel's Hill expanded greatly in the 1970's and 1980's, significantly degrading the ability of the Albaneses to enjoy their property.  By the time Grand Central (rumored to be named for the heavy volume of traffic to the landfill) wanted to expand in 1987, the Albaneses' lives on Teel's Hill had become a living hell.  They attempted to have setbacks enforced, but between the landfill being considered a pre-existing non-conforming use and the passage of PA Act 12 in 1988 (partly to address issues with Grand Central Sanitary Landfill) the Albaneses were prevented from obtaining even the relatively minimal relief they sought.  A consequence of state regulations preempting local ordinances is strict setbacks for solid waste uses contained in the 1988 Plainfield Township zoning ordinance passed in 1988 were reduced substantially - to the point where today the landfill can encroach within a stone's throw of the Albanese's former property as well as Pen Argyl Road.

Sairanne and Ermie explained in detail how their lives on Teel's Hill were destroyed in the transcript of the June 30, 1988 hearing at which Plainfield Township's Solid Waste District was adopted.

Sairanne and Ernest Albanes... on Scribd

Today, the views from Ernie and Sairanne's former property remains much the same looking counter-clockwise from west to east, but the landfill towers 130' above the site of the homestead a short distance from the common property line - totally blocking views when looking from west clockwise to east.

View in 2020 to east from former Albanese property on Teel's Hill

View looking north northwest in 2020 - landfill outlined

Former Albanese property line is beyond treeline

Grand Central promotes its Environmental Education Center heavily, but what they fail to mention is that it occupies the Albanese's former property, which the landfill rendered uninhabitable.  The Albanese's dreamed of retiring on Teel's Hill, but instead they ended up in a lawsuit with the landfill and ultimately sold their property to the landfill in 1998.

Wilson Gum and his wife Doris owned land bordering the east of the Albaneses, and they sold their parcel to the landfill only a few months earlier.

Albanese and Gum parcels on 1971 Zoning Map at left, Current map on right

Think Green

Albanese's former three car garage, converted into Environmental Center

Note matching masonry in picture of house above

House was at the end of the walkway going to the left and also behind garage

Urban renewal in the country

Historic aerial photos show that it took only a few years for the landfill to mow down the Albanese's home.  To add insult to injury, the landfill did a hatchet job in converting the three car garage to the building today used to entertain visitors to the Albanese Property Environmental Education Center.  Ernie owned an electrical supply company named Easton Electro Construction, and to this day light standards that he had installed are dotted around the property - abandoned and repurposed to host wasp's nests or birdfeeders.

Brooks Was Here

Aerials show Albanese homestead was demolished between 2005 and 2008

Albanese house was from where picnic table is and extending to the right behind garage

landfill is to the left and not in view

Note birdfeeder on lamppost Ernie installed near garage

Ernest Albanese, a Purple Heart recipient from his service in World War II, died in 2003 and is buried not far down the road from his former home, in Plainfield Cemetery.  There is a nice view to the west from his grave, in the opposite direction of where his family's dreams were shattered on Teel's Hill.  Sairanne died in 2019.

Ernie Albanese's final resting place

Ernie sold some other land to be used for his brother Leroy's company Wind Gap Electric, but the brothers did not pursue this venture together due to "familial differences", according to a person familiar with the matter.  Leroy's son Peter is a member of Green Knight Economic Development Corporation.