The time has come!
Now at last our Mayor & Council can finally hold a public forum on their decision to pave 80% of the unique, green, taxpayer-owned parcel at 58 North Passaic Avenue, right next to our Memorial Park!
Aerial view of vacant, wooded, taxpayer-owned 58 N. Passaic, marked to show site chosen by Council for construction of 4-apartment, 7-parking space project. Source: Google images
What do the Mayor & Council plan to do with that wooded parcel? They plan to chop down most of the trees to build four apartments and seven parking spaces:
Wait. What?!
For the past year, residents have been asking how the Council had chosen that site for the project, how much it will cost taxpayers, and the pros and cons of the alternatives.
Residents got few answers. Borough experts said the Mayor & Council could not consider alternatives until a judge had certified the Borough’s affordable housing plan.
Now Judge Allen has officially certified the Borough’s housing plan:
Every other excuse not to hold a public forum and answer residents’ questions has also collapsed. See: https://chathamchoice.org/2026/06/debunking-the-myths/ & the video 1:57:57 – 2:01:52 here: https://chathamborough.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=1&clip_id=530
That means now our Mayor & Council can finally hold that public forum and residents can finally get the facts on the plan to sacrifice 58 North Passaic Avenue.
The only question is, when?
Should our Mayor & Council hold the public forum right away? At their regular meeting on August 10, 2026? Maybe in September, when most residents are back in town?
Tell your Mayor & Council what you prefer, using these addresses:
jstrickland@chathamborough.org
kkoronkiewicz@chathamborough.org
mayorcouncil@chathamborough.org
See you at the next Council meeting, set for Monday, August 10, 2026 at 7:30 pm, either:
- In person at Borough Hall, 54 Fairmount Avenue, or
- virtually, details to follow at chathamborough.org.