Lawsuit Filed Against Ridge Baseball Club Claiming 'Public Nuisance'

BASKING RIDGE, NJ — A group of eight homeowners filed a lawsuit against Bernards Township and Ridge Baseball Club(RBC) on Friday claiming lighting, traffic, and noise coming from the Ridge Baseball Club Complex creates a "public nuisance."

The lawsuit was filed on Jan. 26 in Somerset County Superior Court by residents Gaurav Patel, Payal Joshi, Waqas Rehman, Urooj Rehman, Brian Krawitz, Brooke Krawitz, Len Soled, Alexis Soled, Veeraj Jadeja, Priya Jadeja, Jerry Elson, Valdemi Da Silva, Ana Claudia Da Silva, Pasquale M. Savino, and Rita Savino.

The lawsuit follows the adoption of Ordinance #2539 by the Township on Dec. 12, 2023, which renewed RBC's lease at the complex on Valley Road from May 14, 2024, through May 14, 2044. Read More: 20-Year Lease Approved For Ridge Baseball Club

Many of the residents who filed the suit live on Fenwick Place and Wedgewood Drive where a majority of concerns were raised in July 2023 when the ordinance to award a 20-year lease first was proposed. Read More: Concerns Raised Over Traffic, Lights From Ridge Baseball Club Complex

Brian Krawitz, HOA President for residents on Fenwick Place, was among those to file the lawsuit. He previously told the Township Committee on Dec. 12, 2023, that the "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."

The lawsuit claims the use of the fields by RBC and lease goes against the Township's Master Plan and Township’s Land Development Ordinance.

"Due to the pending lawsuit the Township does not have any comment at this time," said Township Administrator Pat Monaco.

The plaintiffs are demanding that a judge find that the Township’s actions concerning the adoption "were arbitrary, capricious, unreasonable, ultra vires, and unlawful."

Additionally, they are seeking a judge to invalidate Ordinance #2539 "as null, void, and without effect."

The lawsuit also seeks to stop RBC from taking any further action with regard to the Lease of the Property or authorizing renewal of same along with awarding attorneys’ fees, costs of suit and interest.

"Ridge Baseball Club is appalled by the actions of these residents and plans to fight this lawsuit for the benefit of the children in our community," said Kevin Larner, RBC’s President. "It saddens and disgusts me that a few disgruntled residents have taken this action. There is an endemic problem in this country called 'Not In My Backyard' and this lawsuit is the worst example I have ever seen. I call on all Bernards Township residents to denounce this lawsuit, to support our Township Committee as it defends its lawful actions and fights for the children in our community, and to let these residents know that their entitled and selfish attempts to bully RBC and the Township are not welcome in this community."

RBC is a volunteer-run non-profit organization that provides recreational and travel baseball programs, as well as a buddy ball program for special needs children, at the RBC Complex to more than 400 local children annually. Its 2004 lease at the complex at 3539 Valley Road, Basking Ridge, had been set to expire in 2024.

A statement from RBC claims that the Fenwick Place development did not exist until 2021.

"RBC did not object when the developer sought to destroy an entire forest of trees to build many of the plaintiffs’ multi-million-dollar homes creating the Fenwick subdivision directly across the street from our Complex. Indeed, we welcomed the development and permitted the developer to use our parking lots to stage its equipment and supplies. I guess this is how our new neighbors have decided to thank us," Larner said. "To be clear, this lawsuit has only one goal: to shut down RBC which will cause immeasurable harm to our Township that will negatively impact the children of our community for years to come."

See the full lawsuit below:

2024.01.26 FILED Complaint by Alexis Tarrazi on Scribd

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