Committee Divided On New Ordinances

The township committee passed three ordinances on their final readings at the official meeting on May 11, but was unable to pass three more ordinances on their introduction.

First up was Ordinance 2010-24, which appropriated $50,000 received from a county trust for recreational purposes. The money was used to install a fence around Old Peppy, with the remainder going to returf the various playing fields in town. Ordinance 2010-25 allowed for a minor reorganization of the Cranford Historical Preservation Advisory Board, and Ordinance 2010-26 repealed part of the township code allowing for township employees to receive half pay for 26 weeks to be on leave due to illness if they've already used their sick time and vacation time. Motions to adopt all three ordinances were carried, and all three were adopted upon their final public readings.

The committee could not, however, adopt three more ordinances on their introductions. Ordinance 2010-29 would expand the downtown's Special Improvement District, or SID, to the Garwood border on South Ave and out to Lincoln Ave on North Ave. The proposed expansion would include 21 new property lots.This is not the first time this subject has been broached, and Commissioners Mark Dugan and David Robinson were still not in favor of the expansion last night.

"I think it's the wrong thing, just an expanding tax," said Robinson. "I question what property owners of the newly expanded SID will get for their taxes."

The next two ordinances, Ordinances 2010-30 and 2010-31, dealt with the township's potential acquisition of the former site of the Solomon Schechter Day School on Orange Ave. The school was closed when administrators decided to consolidate the Cranford and West Orange campuses in 2008, due to "the shifting demographics in Union County and surrounding areas."

The two ordinances would allow for the township to purchase the property upon which the school sits for $1.9 million and a $92,000 down payment, for the purpose of recreation. Commissioner Dan Aschenbach was the only "nay" vote, saying the township cannot afford to purchase the land.

"I don't think the township should be in the real estate business," he said.

The other commissioners said it was vital to control the property in order to prevent unwanted development, such as multiple-unit housing. Commissioner Robinson stated the property would be "fixed up a good deal."

"It's important to control that property," he said.

Mayor Mark Smith agreed with Robinson. "It's in the best interest of the town to purchase the property," he said. "It's a tremendous, tremendous opportunity for the town."

But even those in favor of purchasing the property had certain misgivings. After confirming with township attorney Carl Woodward III that there was nothing to restrict the property's use to recreational purposes, both Robinson and resident Kevin Campbell expressed concern.

"No one knows what the future holds," said Campbell, adding that there would be nothing stopping the town from selling the property to developers in the future if it was strapped for cash. "I would like to see it maintained as open space."

Public hearings for all three introduced ordinances will take place in June.