That’s the question we need to ask our Mayor & Borough Council before they dispose of 58 North Passaic Avenue, right next to Memorial Park.
Hear the answer this Tuesday, October 14 at Borough Hall, 54 Fairmount Avenue.
Take the elevator to the upper level. Enter the room on the left at the end of the hall. Make yourself comfortable.
Meeting starts at 7:30 pm, but stop by whenever it’s convenient. Stay only as long as you please. Speaking is optional.
Despite growing public opposition, the Mayor & Council still aim to sacrifice the wooded, Borough-owned lot at 58 North Passaic Avenue – right next to Memorial Park – without having considered the alternatives!
Will you stand for that?
”It’s as green as Kermit the Frog.”
Tell the Mayor & Council:
cdempsey@chathamborough.org jmathiasen@chathamborough.org
kkoronkiewicz@chathamborough.org
jstrickland@chathamborough.org bhargrove@chathamborough.org
Show you care by stopping by the next Council meeting:
What the heck is the above all about?
Last spring, residents flatly rejected a Master Plan amendment, hastily developed behind closed doors, which included needlessly sacrificing the green parcel at 58 North Passaic to help satisfy the Borough’s new affordable housing quota.
Residents urged the Council to consider alternatives that could satisfy that quota, while also preserving that green land for current and future generations.
On June 18th, the Planning Board rubber stamped the take-it-or-leave-it plan. Though the Borough’s experts noted that the Council could later nominate alternative sites, some Council members insisted that the plan was a done deal.
https://chathamchoice.org/2025/08/sworn-testimony/
https://chathamborough.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=1&clip_id=396 (See comments starting 1:43:24 and approx. 2:11:00.)
But then two informal Facebook polls revealed that more than 90% of Chathamites want that wooded, Borough-owned parcel preserved for the benefit of current and future generations.
And now a growing chorus of residents is stepping forward to implore the Council to come up with alternatives that could preserve that precious public land. Several attended the September 8th Council meeting.
The looming threat to 58 North Passaic Avenue has become an issue in the current race for Borough Council.
Incumbent Council Member Karen Koronkiewicz (who co-designed the plan) suggested that the Borough might be able to build four apartments on the small lot at 58 North Passaic without chopping down most or all of the trees there.
”If you’re going to build four apartments,” scoffed challenger Joe Barrette, “you have to cut the trees down.”
He’s right about that, as the below aerial views of 58 North Passaic demonstrate. The first shows the site, almost covered what trees, and the second, which shows what the Council aims to build there, states that it will preserve ONE such tree.
At the September 10th debate, first time candidate Miles Gilmore, a member of the Shade Tree Commission, professed little understanding of the housing issue. He proved it by speaking eloquently in favor of protecting the trees at 58 North Passaic, while advocating acquiescence to the Council’s current plan, which will make it necessary to chop down virtually all of them.
Let’s hope Mr. Gilmore will look into the housing plan, and realize that the only way to preserve those trees is to preserve 58 North Passaic and put the new apartments elsewhere in the Borough.
UPDATE: We influenced the debate last night. We can influence the outcome. See the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySa2jw-mXCM
You want better leaders in Chatham Borough? Unmask the duds!
Suss out their true colors before Election Day by making the candidates answer tough questions.
Start at the League of Women Voters candidate debate, which is set for this Wednesday evening, September 10th, at Borough Hall, 54 Fairmount Avenue in Chatham Borough.
Submit your questions here: https://forms.gle/Cs4HnQoN1wMBMSiJ9
If that link has expired, show up at the debate a bit early (around 6:30 or so) to submit your questions on index cards. (See Barbara.)
That’s this Wednesday evening, September 10th, Borough Hall, 54 Fairmount Avenue. (Use the north entrance. Take the elevator to the upper level.)
Counting on local news outlets for timely coverage of important issues?
Don’t hold your breath.
The only way to find out about crucial local issues before it’s too late is to monitor ChathamChoice.org and public comments at Borough Council meetings, like the one on Monday, September 8, 2025, 7:30 pm at Borough Hall, 54 Fairmount Ave. [Start at minute 44:06 here: https://chathamborough.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=1&clip_id=413]
What can you learn there that isn’t in the local paper? Plenty.
Will the Borough Council let residents have a say on whether to sacrifice the wooded, Borough-owned lot at 58 North Passaic, right next to Memorial Park, or develop four apartments at a less environmentally sensitive location? https://chathamchoice.org/2025/08/good-news-2/
Will a judge scuttle the Borough’s new, ten-year housing plan and force the Borough to waive local rules to let rich developers run amok, including building 43 additional apartments at the Cottage Deli and the auto shop in Post Office Plaza, among other things? https://chathamchoice.org/2025/08/second-bite/
Go to Borough Hall, 54 Fairmount Avenue, on Monday, September 8, 2025, anytime after 7:30 pm.
You’ll find plenty of free parking in the lot and on the street. Use the north entrance. Take the elevator to the upper level. Stay only as long as you wish. Speaking is optional.
In 2022, three real estate developers barged into Superior Court and demanded that the judge force Chatham Borough to let them build a 100+ unit apartment project on public parking lots and private land in Post Office Plaza, including the Cottage Deli property. https://chathamchoice.org/2022/06/what-now/
The judge refused. Instead of forcing the Borough to accept a large apartment building, he allowed the Borough to substitute a 15-unit, 100% affordable apartment house on one of the public parking lots at Post Office Plaza. https://chathamchoice.org/2022/11/great-news/
End of story? Nope.
On Wednesday, one of those developers went back into court, seeking to force the Borough to let them replace the Cottage Deli and its next-door-neighbor with a four-story, 43-unit, 15% affordable apartment project, as part of the Borough’s Fourth Round affordable housing obligation.
See it here:
Challenge filed 27 August 2025 by Vertical Realty, owner of 23 S. Passaic Avenue (0.4098 acres, block 121/lot 13) and 33 South Passaic Avenue (0.24 acres, block 121/lot 12):
[Vertical’s 27 October follow-up to the response filed by Chatham Borough:
Since then, two more challengers have filed formal objections to the Borough’s housing plan, demanding that the Court scuttle and revamp it:
Challenge filed 2 September 2025 by Danbro Properties, would-be developer of 45 River Road (0.2045 acres, block 140/lot 5) and 55 River. Road (0.2394 acres, block 139/lot 4.)
Check out this Challenge filed 29 August 2025 by Fair Share Housing Center:
Case Docket:
Who will decide those challenges? https://www.njcourts.gov/courts/civil/affordable-housing
What do those challenges mean for Chatham Borough? Ask the Mayor: https://www.chathamborough.org/government/mayor
Stop by the next Borough Council meeting, 7:30 pm, Monday, September 8, 2025 at Borough Hall, 54 Fairmount Avenue. (Use the north entrance; take the elevator to the upper level.)
Myth: It’s over. Chatham Borough must sacrifice the vacant, Borough-owned parcel at 58 North Passaic Avenue to build four apartments right next to Memorial Park.
Reality: It isn’t over. Once the Judge has ruled on Chatham’s affordable housing plan, the Borough Council can propose an alternative site or project.
Source: Sworn testimony of Chatham Borough Planner Kendra Lelie at the 18 June 2025 Planning Board Hearing on the new Housing Element of the Borough’s revised Master Plan:
Q: Planning Board Member William Heap: Kendra, let’s say the Plan is adopted. It is approved. And somewhere down the line, somehow, magically, another piece of land appears. Is there room after approval for a little bit of horse trading?
A: Kendra Lelie: So, after the approval from the Court, it is not uncommon that things happen, things change… Maybe something better comes up – and a better opportunity comes up. So yes, it’s a possibility.
https://chathamborough.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=1&clip_id=393 starting at 1:12:20.
Contrary to popular rumors, Chatham Borough need not build housing on the wooded, Borough-owned lot at 58 North Passaic Avenue, right next to our Memorial Park.
But the Mayor & Council will sacrifice that green lot anyway unless you tell them not to!
Starting 1 January 2026, the Borough can offer alternative ways to complete the new Housing Element of the Master Plan.
That’s what Chatham Borough Planner Kendra Lelie said under oath at the 18 June 2025 Planning Board Hearing on the new Housing Element. See for yourself starting at 1:12:20 here: https://chathamborough.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=1&clip_id=393
Here’s a partial transcript:
Q: Planning Board Member William Heap: Kendra, let’s say the Plan is adopted. It is approved. And somewhere down the line, somehow, magically, another piece of land appears. Is there room after approval for a little bit of horse trading?
A: Chatham Borough Planner Kendra Lelie: So, after the approval from the Court, it is not uncommon that things happen, things change… Maybe something better comes up – and a better opportunity comes up. So yes, it’s a possibility.
What can you do? Ask the Mayor & Borough Council:
cdempsey@chathamborough.org. jmathiasen@chathamborough.org
kkoronkiewicz@chathamborough.org. itreloar@chathamborough.org
jstrickland@chathamborough.org bhargrove@chathamborough.org
Is it too late to preserve the wooded, Borough-owned lot at 58 North Passaic Avenue, right next to home plate at Memorial Park? No!
In case you haven’t heard, that lovely, green parcel is targeted for development under a controversial Master Plan amendment that also allows construction of up to 206 new apartments on the busy east end of Main Street.
In June, Hundreds of residents protested that plan, but to no avail.
End of story? No.
Once the Superior Court approves the plan, which should happen by the end of December, the Borough can propose substitute sites, according to the Borough’s Professional Planner. https://chathamborough.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=1&clip_id=393 (Go to 1:12:20)
If the Mayor & Council choose instead to sacrifice 58 North Passaic without having considered all the alternatives, they will lose the chance to achieve a better outcome for Chatham Borough.
To avoid that fate, the Mayor & Council must begin searching for better options immediately after Labor Day.
What are they doing about that?
What substantive steps have our Mayor & Council been taking to prepare to identify better alternatives to developing 58 North Passaic Avenue?
cdempsey@chathamborough.org. jmathiasen@chathamborough.org
kkoronkiewicz@chathamborough.org. itreloar@chathamborough.org
jstrickland@chathamborough.org bhargrove@chathamborough.org
khay@chathamborough.org. mayorcouncil@chathamborough.org
UPDATE: On June 18, the Planning Board rubber stamped the proposed Housing Element with only a minor adjustment, over the vocal objections of hundreds of residents, including petitioners and the overflow crowd in the Council Chamber. Five days later, several detailed the outrage at a Council meeting: https://chathamborough.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=1&clip_id=396 (See multiple public comments starting 1:43:24 and Member Justin Strickland’s dissent starting approx. 2:11:00.)
We all love our Memorial Park, the green stretch behind our library, with its playground, pool, benches, lawn, and ball field, lined with big trees.
But now our Park is threatened by a Borough Council plan to sacrifice the green, vacant lot right next door – which the Borough bought for recreation – to build four apartments and a parking lot.
Here’s how that Borough-owned lot next to the ball field looks now:
Here’s what the Borough Council aims to build there asap:
Will that project pay property taxes to the Borough? No. It’s tax exempt.
That plan will also allow construction of 223 new apartments on the east end of Main Street, backing up traffic and jeopardizing the water supply in a wellhead protection zone that also includes Summit and Millburn.
What’s worse, despite having had at least fifteen months to come up with alternatives, our Mayor & Council never considered any. They left it until the last minute and dropped it on the Planning Board, half of which knows this is wrong, but may be steamrolled into accepting it for lack of a handy alternative.
Now the proponents of this nightmare simply insist that that Plan was the only way to meet a June 30 deadline set by state law.
That’s pure nonsense. NJ law does not require the Borough to make any such sacrifices.
And yet, that’s exactly what the Planning Board will do on June 18th unless you act now:
cdempsey@chathamborough.org jmathiasen@chathamborough.org
kkoronkiewicz@chathamborough.org itreloar@chathamborough.org
jstrickland@chathamborough.org bhargrove@chathamborough.org
khay@chathamborough.org mayorcouncil@chathamborough.org
Thomas Belding Sophia Calcaterra-Hull Susan Favate William Heap
Susie Robertson Matthew Wagner Jonathan Wilcox Gregory Xikes
For background, sources, hot links, and news, please visit ChathamChoice.org
(Let’s hope our Planning Board won’t!)
NJ law requires every town to provide for affordable housing. Chatham Borough does that.
NJ law does NOT require the Borough to pave over the green, wooded, Borough-owned, .3-acre, vacant lot at 58 North Passaic, right next to our Memorial Park, for a parking lot and four apartments, nor to impose an overlay zone allowing 220 more apartments on the east end of Main Street without having considered any alternatives.
But that’s what the Planning Board is going to do on June 18th unless you act now:
Thomas Belding Sophia Calcaterra-Hull Susan Favate William Heap Susie Robertson Matthew Wagner Jonathan Wilcox Gregory Xikes
Facebook or c/o Clerk, Borough Hall, 54 Fairmount Avenue, Chatham, NJ, 07928
For background, sources, and news please visit ChathamChoice.org
