I want to provide a brief update in advance of tomorrow night’s Township Committee meeting.

First, I would like to thank you for your support!  We currently have nearly 800 signatures on our petition in support of the Lease renewal and amendments. THANK YOU!

Second, we have been working over the past three weeks with the Township Committee and our neighbors to provide information supporting RBC’s requests and trying to address neighbor concerns.  These conversations have been productive, and we believe we have addressed or have expressed a willingness to address almost all the reasonable concerns.

Based upon these meetings and according to the published Agenda for tomorrow night’s meeting, the Township Committee will withdraw and not consider the Ordinance to renew the RBC Lease and proposed Amendment concerning the field lights at tomorrow’s meeting.  Instead, the Township Committee will consider a Resolution allowing RBC to (i) use lights in the Fall of 2023 pursuant to a “pilot program” and (ii) use lights from April 1 – April 23, 2024. Our expectation is that an Ordinance to renew the RBC Lease and approve the field lights Amendment will be considered before the end of 2023 after this Fall “pilot program” is completed.  Though we are disappointed the Ordinance concerning the Lease renewal and field lights Amendment will not be adopted tomorrow night, we are excited about the prospect of running a full Fall program this year with lights and that we will be able to use the lights next Spring starting April 1, 2024.  We look forward to continuing to work with the Township on the Lease renewal and field lights Amendment so that the lease can be renewed and amended before the end of this year. 

While we have made significant progress over the past several weeks, and we could not have done so without your support, RBC still needs your support as we continue to work to get the lease renewal completed and approved. 

• Please continue to share this Online Petition.
• If you have not already done so, consider sending an email the Township Committee expressing your support for RBC’s lease renewal and amendments.  You can email the members of the Township Committee at townshipcommittee@bernards.org.  Please copy leaserenewal@ridgebaseballclub.com in your email so we can thank you for your support.
• If you were planning on attending the meeting tomorrow night at 8:00 pm, please still come. While the Township Committee will not be voting on the Lease renewal ordinance, it will be considering the Fall Lights Resolution, which we need them to pass.  Additionally, it is important that the Township Committee still see the support we have in the community, as we do not know what, if any, additional objections will be raised.  While every resident is free to speak their mind, if you do choose to speak in support of RBC, our preference is that you speak in a positive note about RBC and your support for the Lease renewal and proposed field lights Amendment, and that you avoid speaking negatively about any residents, including objecting neighbors.    

Thank you again for your support.

Kevin Larner
President, Ridge Baseball Club