Cougar Field Hearing Continues in Madison

Madison's Zoning Board of Adjustment will continue the hearing on the ongoing dispute over proposed lighting at Chatham's Monday at 7:30 p.m. at the .

Madison's Cougar Field Neighborhood Preservation Association is appealing a permit denial letter of Dec. 7, 2010 from Madison Zoning Officer Frank Russo, and related request for zoning interpretation.

In a second case, Chatham’s Board of Education is making the same appeal.

Madison residents from Union Hill Road, Independence Court and Barnesdale Road hired a Maplewood planner, Peter Steck, who told the board in October that Russo's interpretation of the zoning  “was partly correct” when he denied Chatham’s application in December, 2010 to erect a series of seven 60- and 70-foot-high light poles on what is known as the Star 2 soccer field.

Wading through the complicated land use code, Steck argued that since the end zone for Cougar Stadium lies in Madison property, the site must be reviewed on a “composite” basis with the idea that anything that occurs in the complex, be it lighting or parking improvements, has a potential impact on both municipalities.

The Cougar Field Neighborhood Preservation Association want a formal process where Madison and Chatham publicly approve or disapprove site plan applications for the Cougar Field Sports Complex, thereby making any denials or future improvements permanent.

“It needs to be thoroughly vetted,” said Union Hill resident Tom Driscoll.

Stuart Koenig, Chatham BOE attorney, and Chatham Township attorney Carl Woodward believe that since Star 2 Field lies solely in Chatham Township, Madison no longer has a legal say in the matter.

Both entities are following Superior Court Judge Hugh Dumont’s ruling in November, 2008 that the two Chathams and Madison receive zoning board approvals in order to erect lights.

If the Madison panel rules that a site plan application with all its possibilities of triggering use variances and site variances is needed, then it will also trigger a jurisdictional argument on whether a bordering town can influence another town’s land use law.