Essex Freeholders Vote to Lease Orange Reservoir
The agreement between the county and Orange comes at a time when West Orange and Orange have ongoing litigation regarding back taxes on the reservoir.
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Essex County Freeholders voted to approve a $1.6 million agreement with the City of Orange to lease the Orange Reservoir for 20 years. The vote passed mid-last week despite freeholders Bilal Beasley, Leonard Luciano and Donald Payne Jr. being absent.
The agreement will allow the county to incorporate the reservoir into its South Mountain Recreation Complex, which borders the reservoir. The complex already includes the Turtle Back Zoo, McLoone’s Boathouse, Safari Mini-Golf and Codey Arena.
Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo’s office declined to comment on the lease agreement Monday, but said they would release additional details about the plans for the reservoir in the future.
Although the reservoir is owned by the city of Orange, it is located in West Orange.
West Orange Mayor Robert Parisi said he was enthusiastic about the county expanding its already extensive recreational complex.
“I think what the county has done there is great,” said Parisi. “The improvements to the zoo over the last few 15 years have been incredible and now these additional recreational spaces will bring people to our town.”
Orange Mayor Dwayne Warren also said he was pleased with the agreement and the development of the reservoir, which has been unused for years. The Orange council appoved the lease earlier this month.
"There was a commitment to do it and ... it was a cooperative effort in getting to a final contract," said Warren. "... Soon we will have recreation there on Orange property; there's going to be a vast improvements ... and then it is going to be returned back to us with a new value."
The vote also comes at a time when Orange and West Orange are in the midst of a legal battle over the property. Last year, the two towns entered litigation regarding whether the reservoir is taxable. West Orange claims Orange owes it back taxes on the property.
“It has been an ongoing litigation with the City of Orange,” said Parisi, “and we are hopeful to resolve it soon in the interests of the tax payers or West Orange and Orange.”
Parisi said he was unable to comment further due to the active litigation. Warren also said he could not comment about the lawsuit because it is a litigation matter.
The county tried to purchase the reservoir property in March. However, the city of Orange rejected the county's $700,000 offer.
Orange also has also attempted to sue Essex County in the past over the property. Former Orange mayor Eldridge Hawkins Jr. filed a lawsuit against the county in April 2011 for $1 million. The lawsuit claimed the city was entitled to compensation because the zoo’s train ride extended into Orange.
GoodPig
10:58 am on Tuesday, September 25, 2012
What does 'development' mean? Hope it doesn't mean 'ruin'!!!!
Brett Kaiser
1:16 pm on Tuesday, September 25, 2012
So....when Orange defaults on back taxes...does West Orange get the payments from the County? Can I just pay myself out of the taxes I send to the county? And why doesn't West Orange Rseidents get a break on all of these "Facilities" that are in OUR town? I'd like a 50% Discount at Francis Byrne.
GoodPig
10:28 pm on Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Oh, and by the way, city officials, has anyone noticed the garbage along the South Mountain Reservation Roads? Take a look along South Orange Avenue and Cherry Lane/Brookside Drive on a Sunday morning. See all that? That stuff will be IN the Reservoir when people (litterbugs and slobs) are invited to have access to it.
Politicians take notice - don't you DARE ruin our reservation with your ideas!
Mark Meyerowitz
4:02 pm on Thursday, September 27, 2012
Move over Disneyworld, here comes DiVincenzoWorld
john anthony prignano
8:03 pm on Thursday, September 27, 2012
One day soon I will get on the County road down the block from my house. I will go a short distance , stop, and play a round of golf on a County golf course. Then it's back on to the County road, left on to another County road, and then I'll make a left in front of the County park on to another County road. { These roads have recently undergone millions of dollars in repairs and improvements } I'll enjoy a round of golf at the County miniature golf course, and then I'll have lunch at the County restaurant. { Maybe Joe D. will be there enjoying Chateaubriand and a vintage wine } Then it's on to the County zoo, to see the latest million dollar plus addition, constructed by a company that listed 2 completed projects for 2011 on it's website; A $12,000,000 addition to Middlesex County College, and a $12,000,000 Senior Citizens Complex in Monroe Township. Then it's on to the new and improved { 7 figures} Codey Arena for some figure 8s on the ice. And now, oh dream of dreams, on to the reservoir for some r and r ! Then it's back on to a County road to another County road to another County road and home.Joe DiVincenzo strongly believes there should be New Jersey government pension reform, despite the fact that he collects a pension while he's being paid his County Executive salary. I bet if asked, he would tell us he firmly believes in smaller and less intrusive government, despite the fact......
Mick Erickson
1:05 pm on Sunday, October 7, 2012
WO Mayor, Parisi is right, they have done a great job spending taxpayer savings building the place up, it does look nice. These schemes promise to decrease taxes and increase private business, but in reality get opposite results.
What we got was increased infrastructure costs, loss of open space, congestion, tens of thousands new cars in the neighborhood, and increased municipal costs.
Look directly across the street at the older run down buildings, where approx 40% private business on the north side of Northfield Ave remain for sale or out of business. There has been a decrease in private business, yet government will continue to spend more of our money on failing projects, that steal our open space.
GoodPig
10:11 pm on Sunday, October 7, 2012
Do any of these politicians read these comments or CARE what us regular taxpayers think? Or do they think they're so above-the-fray that we don't matter? When are we going to stop letting them wreck our natural resources? When it's too late????
Mick Erickson
7:20 pm on Tuesday, October 9, 2012
GoodPig: A) NO B) YES C) NEVER PEOPLE ARE TO APATHETIC, LAZY AND DONT WANT TO GET INVOLVED D) IT IS ALREADY TOO LATE, WE HAVE GIVEN ALL OUR POWER TO GOVERNMENT AND HAVE NO RECOURSE WHEN THEY DO THINGS AGAINST OUR WISHES.
WELCOME TO COMMUNIST RUSSIA WHERE THE PEOPLE HAVE NO SAY.