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Residents urge council to delay Clarage Drive open-space purchase amid ballot, process concerns
Summary
Clarage residents told the Verona council they were blindsided by a proposed purchase of a roughly 10-acre parcel and asked the council to postpone action so they can organize, contest ballot procedures and get fuller answers about parking, tax impact and project details; council members said tonight's resolution is an initial step toward a later bond/ordinance process and agreed to provide more information.
A group of Clarage residents pressed the Verona Township Council on Tuesday to postpone a resolution that would initiate a purchase agreement for a roughly 10‑acre parcel at Clarage Drive, saying members of their building association were divided about the sale and that voting procedures were unclear.
"We were under the impression ... we would have an opportunity to organize and be here in person to speak," resident Gary Schneiderman told the council, asking that the resolution be tabled so residents could present their concerns face-to-face. Other residents said ballots were not mailed to absentee owners and that the vote had been misrepresented by building leadership.
Why it matters: The parcel is described by town officials as one of the largest remaining tracts of open space in Verona. Purchasing it with the town's open-space trust fund would preserve the property for passive recreation and remove it from taxable rolls, a step the council said could reduce future levy impacts and prevent high-density development.
Town staff described the item before the council as an initial procedural step, not the final purchase. "What you have in front of you as a council right now is a resolution ... this is the first step," town official Mr. Aloy said, adding that a later bond ordinance would follow and that the public would have additional opportunities to weigh in. He said the agreement as negotiated calls for passive recreation, two off‑site parking spots paid for by the township and no planned bathrooms.
Residents raised specific concerns: Doris Keely Formacola, a Clarage House 2 resident and attorney, said many residents "did not receive ballots" and called for more time to organize and confirm the process, calling the current handling "incorrect legally and horribly." Others asked for more information about parking, porta‑potty plans and tax implications if portions of the parcel are not taxable under current records.
Council response: Council members acknowledged the public complaints and several said they were open to tabling the resolution when it comes up on the consent agenda so attorneys can answer outstanding questions. "If the council wants to put it off to allow me to go back to the attorneys, that's absolutely fine," Mr. Aloy said. Council members reiterated that the open-space trust fund is a voter-authorized levy used to preserve green space and that purchasing the parcel would be consistent with that strategy.
Next steps: The council said passage of tonight's resolution would not be the final step; the bond and ordinance process that follows will include further public notice and comment. Residents asked the township to provide clearer, more direct avenues of communication beyond attorney-to-attorney channels so Clarage members can get answers in writing and in person.
