Residents urge Johnsburg to drop litigation against yacht club, praise community sailing school

Dozens of residents urged the Village of Johnsburg on July 7 to stop pursuing litigation against the Passaic Yacht Club and to preserve a long‑running community sailing school, saying the program benefits children and the broader community.

At the public comment period, longtime residents and program alumni described the club’s history and the school’s role in teaching leadership and life skills. “Programs like this don’t just teach children how to sail. They change lives,” said Caitlin Kingsley, who said the sailing school led her to a career in naval architecture and mechanical engineering. Kingsley said she hopes future generations will have the same opportunities she did.

Other speakers urged transparency and questioned the village’s legal strategy. “Why have you taken the steps you have… presenting them with a 15‑page contract in this ongoing situation?” asked Carrie Beth Adams (3314 Rocky Beach), who said she is concerned about public money being spent on lawsuits and asked the board to bring the matter into the open. Jason Swan (1214 Bay Road) appealed directly for a reset: “Just go back to talking, shake hands and drop the whole thing,” he said.

Several speakers reviewed the yacht club’s long local history and the sailing school’s youth programming. Tom Carteyser, who identified himself as a founder of the community sailing school, traced the club’s roots to the late 1800s and said the village has filed motions restricting boat parking and storage that he described as threatening to the club’s future.

Legal arguments were also raised in public comment. Rob Rayson summarized a court memorandum he asked the board to review, saying the judge found that the zoning variance and continuous‑use questions support the club’s legal use of the property and that efforts by the village to depose third parties were denied. Rayson said the judge criticized the village for emphasizing storage language in the ordinance and indicated the judge may base his decision on the whole variance.

Supporters cited concrete outcomes they attribute to the sailing program: speakers said the school helped young people gain certifications, jobs in marine industries and leadership skills. Rose Weichart, a nearly 30‑year resident, called the club “great neighbors” who run children’s sailing programs and community events.

The comments signaled strong local support for the club and frustration over ongoing legal proceedings; several speakers contrasted litigation spending with other local needs, including infrastructure. The board later moved to recess into closed session to discuss pending litigation, a procedural step that follows from the public comments and will remove the topic from open discussion for the board while legal strategy is considered.

The public comments portion of the meeting included multiple firsthand accounts praising the sailing school, residents’ calls for transparency on litigation spending, and a request that the village reconsider its approach to the Passaic Yacht Club. The board’s formal next step on the litigation was a closed‑session recess announced later in the meeting.