Town turns out to stop NYC trash dump in West Milford

By Kalleen Rose Ozanic
West Milford — In an unprecedented and unexpected turnout of hundreds of citizens in West Milford, the town’s Zoning Board of Adjustment decided Tuesday night to postpone discussion and a vote on a proposal to create a dump on Burnt Meadow Road for New York City garbage.
The crowd was overwhelmingly opposed to the proposal by Green Meadow Organics, a private company, to haul waste from New York City to 960 Burnt Meadow Road.
With the town rallied against it, more than 200 West Milford individuals attended the Zoning Board of Adjustment town hall meeting on the evening of Aug. 28, the room quickly became too small to hold the crowd.
As seats filled, the meeting became a standing-room-only event, with concerned residents lining the walls, the vestibule, and crowding outside the building, hoping to have their voices heard.
At about 7:45 p.m., the Zoning Board of Adjustment Chairman, Robert Brady, told the room that the crowd had exceeded the legal maximum occupancy of the main meeting room.
Due to this, the board would first need to discuss how the meeting could proceed and what accommodations would have to be made.
“In all the years I’ve been here [as attorney], I’ve never seen this many people,” said Stephen Glatt, board attorney. “This was totally unexpected.”
“The applicant’s attorneys, as well as myself, agree that we cannot hear [the matter] in this venue tonight because it would not comply with the Open Public Meetings Act,” Glatt said.
After confirming the vast majority of the group in attendance was concerned with the proposed dump site at 960 Burnt Meadow Road, Glatt explained that further discussion was necessary between the applicant attorneys from Green Meadow Organics and himself in order to assess the situation and determine what further action would be necessary to properly address the town’s concerns.
During a brief adjournment, there were mixed comments from the crowd.
One man said, “If you're trying to convince somebody to come to your side, the last thing to do is to argue with them and antagonize them. Listen, ask questions, and it'll be a lot better for everybody.”
The hundreds of attendees that filled and spilled out of the main meeting room could be heard during the approximately 15-minute break, as the attorneys deliberated. Shouts of “I’m a citizen; I’m a taxpayer; We’re all taxpayers” could be heard during the recess.
When the meeting was called back to order, Glatt told the crowd:
“Under Open Public Meetings Act, we have to have the meeting where the public can hear what is going on and participate. Both myself, the council for the applicant, and the attorneys for the objectors have discussed the matter with the chairman. As a result, the matter is going to be carried to another date. The applicant is going to be required again to send out written notices to property owners within a 200 foot radius.”
Glatt further assured the residents that both sides would be heard, and that all arguments that were necessary in defense of both Green Meadow Organics, as well as the townspeople, would be made in future meetings.
The Green Meadow dump site proposal had been on the agenda for several meetings, but the turnout of citizens never reached Tuesday night’s numbers. Glatt said that there would be as many meetings as necessary to settle the matter and ensure that all parties are on the same page.
Glatt clarified that, unlike applying for front yard work, a Use Variance Applicant such as Green Meadow Organics would need more than the standard majority vote from the Zoning Board, but rather five individuals in favor of the application, which is “much heavier proof and the board takes that exceptionally seriously.”
In addition, Glatt said that due to the overwhelming size of the group, a spokesperson should be selected to manage the complaints and concerns of the public to avoid chaos and massive disruption in future meetings.
Also, he explained, the board will not except any handwritten letters or reports, and that all proceedings would occur within the confines of a scheduled meeting.
The town has not yet rescheduled the hearing as of press time.