Why Saddle River plans to repeal revised ordinances to buy single-family home on Mill Road

Marsha A. Stoltz, NorthJersey.com
·2 min read

SADDLE RIVER — The Borough Council introduced repeals Monday night for two revised ordinances intended to update a proposal to bond and purchase a $1.7 million single-family home on Mill Road.

The revised ordinances were approved by the council on May 8 in response to a complaint filed on April 6 by Concerned Citizens of Mill Road. The neighbors contended that the wording of the original ordinances, approved on March 20, was illegal because it failed to specify that the property would be used as a future affordable housing site.

The Saddle River Borough Council contends it will repair and rent out the house at 333 Mill Road, but characterizes its purchase as more of a negotiating "wild card" than an affordable housing site. Surrounding residents remain skeptical.
The Saddle River Borough Council contends it will repair and rent out the house at 333 Mill Road, but characterizes its purchase as more of a negotiating "wild card" than an affordable housing site. Surrounding residents remain skeptical.

But the April 6 complaint was dismissed by Superior Court Judge Christine Farrington on May 9. She ruled that the wording of the March 20 ordinances was "adequate in accordance with statutory requirements," even if it did not mention the property's potential use for affordable housing.

Also on May 9, however, a second complaint was filed against the borough on behalf of neighbor Stephen Sweeney of Twin Brooks Road. Attorney Michael Saffer argued that the May 8 revised ordinances which specified the intended use as "affordable housing or other public uses," were also faulty, and that the borough had entangled itself in procedural sequences that would render the purchase illegal.

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Borough Attorney David Lafferty notified Farrington on May 12 that repeals for the May 8 ordinances would be introduced Monday, with a public hearing and adoption scheduled for June 12. Lafferty said Monday that the May 8 ordinances would be repealed because the borough is not allowed to have two sets of ordinances applying to the same property. The March 20 ordinances confirmed by Farrington would remain, he said.

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Lafferty declined to say what the future of the property would be, only that he expected to meet with borough officials on that question. The borough was scheduled to close on the property on May 5. Lafferty would say only that the borough has not yet done so.

Sweeney said Tuesday that he plans to appeal Farrington's ruling on the March 20 ordinances.

"Despite the repeal of the ordinances adopted May 8, we will pursue vigorous litigation to thwart the opaque and clearly deceptive intentions of the mayor and council," Sweeney said.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Saddle River to repeal revised ordinances to buy Mill Road home