email:clean@skyclean.org
May 4, 2003
The council majority were able to move ahead with their vote to
sell the redevelopment zone to Green Acres, thanks to a judge's ruling. The
judge, Robert Passero, did retain control of the proposed sale however, stating
that the ordinance may be challenged, and that he reserves the right to stop
the sale at any point up to the time when the money changes hands. He did
rule that Council member Andy Gargano could vote on the proposed sale.
The council met on April 30th and voted 3-2 to go foward, but still
have some other hurdles to cross. The legal notice on the ordinance required
was incorrect, so the final votes will be postponed until late May and early
June. This leaves the council little time before a new council is seated
on July 1. Three of the current council seats - those of Harkey, Moshman,
and Weisbecker, are all up for grabs in May. Two golf course proponents are
currently running for the Moshman and Weisbecker seats. No candidate emerged
for Harkey's seat until recently, when two write in candidates, one in favor
of the redevelopment zone, one opposed, appeared.
The other item which could jeopardize the sale is the ownership of Post Brook Lake, which residents say is privately owned and cannot be sold to Green Acres along with the rest of the Redevelopment Zone. Borough attorneys are trying to sort out the matter as quickly as possible to avoid any problems later.
Judge orders stay in move to sellApril 27, 2003
February 28, 2003
West Milford Council voted in February 3-2 to sell approximately
420 acres of the 466-acre redevelopment zone to Green Acres for $1.69 million.
The decision followed a year of heated debate surrounding the property,
as pro-development residents pushed for development of the property as
a golf course and conference center. Skylands CLEAN, Pequannock River
Coalition (PRC) and environmental activists in the town opposed the plan,
stating that the proposed golf course would require 45 million gallons of
water per year in a town where many wells were already going dry.
CLEAN and PRC also challenged tax revenue figures put forth by golf course proponents. The pro-development group cited a potential increase in revenue of $1.0 million per year, a figure that was never verified. But CLEAN and PRC showed conclusively that the generous sweetheart deal to promote the plan would exempt the developer from taxes for several years while the development was under construction, eliminating any promised tax gains for another 10-12 years.
If millionaire Wall Street financier Leonard Miller has his way, he’ll receive up to $700,000 when West Milford Township sells property it owns to the state for preservation purposes.That’s on top of the $700,000 he received for repairs to the dam on his lake, and the promise of a publicly-financed road through property he hopes to develop.
Miller purchased a home in West Milford in 1989, after retiring early from a successful Wall Street career.He says he enjoys the peace and quiet of the remote, mountainous township.But shortly after purchasing his home, he began amassing land nearby.In particular, he obtained 36 acres at a bankruptcy sale.The 36 acre-parcel divides larger parcels owned by the Township.In the 1990’s, the Township signed over to Miller an additional 50 or so acres that had been in foreclosure.
The Township had considered building a golf course on their parcels, but with Miller’s 36 acres dividing the Township land, Miller’s cooperation was needed.But Miller convinced the Township to participate in a development project that would bring a hotel, and conference center to town along with the golf course.The project was envisioned for the property owned by the Township, but financed by Miller.Miller has invested about $64,000 so far, while the Township has spent nearly $900,000 on studies for the resort.The current Township council opposes the resort, in part because of environmental concerns about the project.Water supply is also an issue.The facility would require about 100,000 gallons of water per day.
If the project had been completed, Miller would have built and sold luxury homes on his parcel, and would have received one third of the revenues from the resort development.The Township, meanwhile, has spent nearly $900,000 on studies for the resort.
The Township controlled the liens the 36 acres at one time, and could have foreclosed on those properties, removing Miller from the equation.Instead, the Council allowed him to purchase the liens and then negotiated a contract favorable to Miller.
West Milford has been designated a Town Center by the State, which means that the Township will restrict development to the designated Town Center area, in return for funding from the State for downtown improvements.(For more information, see http://www.skyclean.org/wm.html).The proposed resort development lies well outside the Town Center, and lies atop critical watershed lands.Skylands CLEAN has opposed the development from the beginning.The development would bring traffic and air and water pollution to one of the few pristine areas left in northern New Jersey, would endanger water supplies for as many as 4 million New Jersey residents, and would destroy one of the most beautiful scenic vistas in the state.
For more information about the proposed development, contact Skylands CLEAN.
email:clean@skyclean.org