20-Year Lease Approved For Ridge Baseball Club

BASKING RIDGE, NJ — Ridge Baseball Club(RBC)'s lease has been renewed for another 20 years by the Township Committee despite some area residents' concerns about lights, sounds, and traffic.

The Committee unanimously passed the ordinance for the lease at the Tuesday night meeting which renews the lease from May 14, 2024, through May 14, 2044.

The ordinance not only extends the lease but also allows the club to extend playing time and usage of lights into the fall from Sept. 1 through Nov. 15 each year. Previously, the club only played from April through August.

A pilot program was held this past fall to test out the light usage from Sept. 1 to Nov. 15, 2023.

Additionally, in response to residents' complaints about noise, the ordinance also requires the RBC to install 6-foot high ambient noise attenuating devices designed to reduce noise from the batting cages along 150 feet of fencing near Valley Road within 6 months from May 14, 2024.

The devices around the batting cages must be specifically manufactured for purposes of noise reduction, according to the ordinance.

"It's going to be somewhere in the $15 to $20,000 expense and they are willing to put that in and pay for that in whole by RBC," said Craig Gianetti, an attorney for RBC and Basking Ridge resident. "We are confident that would help address some of the concerns with respect to noise."

Gianetti also added the RBC created the "Good Neighbor Initiative" for residents to communicate and work with the club on any complaints.

The club is also authorizing a $5,000 analysis of its lights to see what else can be done.

Other efforts include addressing parking, restriping the field, doing away with the Sunday all-day tournaments, and emails are being sent out to teams and residents about where they are not allowed to park including Wedgewood Drive and Fenwick Place.

"To sum up, despite all these claims that we have heard, we feel RBC is being a good neighbor," said Gianetti. "We appreciate all the time and effort the town has put into this."

Residents on Fenwick Place and Wedgewood Drive were not convinced the efforts by the RBC.

"It's not easy to stand up at all of these meetings and to ask this Board for help. We know we are the minority and to everyone else, they come to use these fields and go back home. It's a pleasure for them and not in their backyard. These lease changes leave us with potential quality of life issues that will have a direct impact on us based on the lease for 40 potential years if not longer," said Brian Krawitz, HOA President for residents on Fenwick Place.

Gerard Elson of Wedgewood Drive felt holding the pilot program in the fall was not an accurate representation of the field usage.

"I think we should review these fields again in the spring when these fields are under peak usage and see what the impact is there as well in terms of parking and safety... making sure we have the full picture," said Elson.

Before the vote by the Committee, members sympathized with residents.

"What we are doing here tonight was never going to make everyone happy. It’s great that additional skin is being put into the game by Ridge Baseball by virtue of this sound abatement equipment that will be required around the cages," said Mayor Andrew McNally prior to the vote.

Many of the Committee members noted the hours of work spent by the Committee to try and find a resolution between residents and the RBC. Some of that work included going out for site visits and the pilot program.

"This has been a process for us and in my opinion a thorough process. The outcome as we seek it to be is going to be a reasonable outcome. It is never going to be perfect for both sides," said Committeeman Gary Baumann.

Deputy Mayor Jennifer Asay ensured residents that they could still contact the Committee or RBC for any concerns.

"I am keen to see what is happening in the spring and to keep the dialogue open regardless of the status of the lease," said Asay. "No one is going anywhere and we want to try and ensure that our youth have access to this program and our residents nearby don't have a negative impact t their quality of life."

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