Politics & Government

Parking Restrictions Approved Near Ridge Baseball Complex

Tournaments draw crowds seeking more parking on local streets, many say.

No one on the Bernards Township Committee or in the audience of Tuesday's Committee meeting was going to criticize baseball — but the Ridge Baseball Club's popular tournaments and reported behavior of some drivers parking on neighboring streets has come in for complaints.

And on Tuesday, following several months of discussions and a township survey on neighboring streets, the Township Committee voted 4-1 to prohibit parking on some of the streets that supposedly are receiving overflow parking from the complex on Valley Road.

The ordinance approved on Tuesday prohibits parking — other than for residents who will be given laminated permits — on both sides of Wedgewood Drive from March 15 to Halloween, and on the west side of Spring Valley Road from Valley Road to Baldwin Court and on the east side of Spring Valley Blvd. to Compton Court at all times.

John Campbell, a longtime resident of Wedgewood Drive, said he has seen the number of vehicles seeking parking spaces before heading to the Ridge baseball complex increasing "dramatically" over the years, while he said the Ridge Baseball Club denies there is a problem.

"They continue to say they're not going to increase traffic, but the traffic is increasing," said Campbell, who attended the meeting with of his neighbors who also cited safety concerns about speeding and turning cars.

Following the meeting, members of the Ridge Baseball Club disputed some of the comments made by other residents and officials including the remarks that few Basking Ridge players are part of the club. 

Ron Campione said that township players are members of the recreation team and a traveling team, putting total membership over 1,000.

The parking issue was raised back in January, when the club sought permission to install an artificial turf infield, at RBC's own expense, on six acres of township property that the club leases for $1 a year.

If township officials feel they now have addressed the parking issue, RBC representative John Heffernan said the club next will re-apply for permission to put in the turf field.

"The Township Committee has been very accommodating to the Ridge Baseball Club," Mayor Carolyn Gaziano said before voting in agreement with the new ordinance that sets the no-parking parameters. 

Township Administrator Bruce McArthur began the discussion by reviewing the history of the former Little League organization in leasing the field, and said the township game approval for such improvements as a scoreboard, lighting and more. He said the township also approved the Little League's move to become Cal Ripkin baseball. He said the current lease runs through 2024.

Deputy Mayor John Carpenter said the issue is less about baseball, than it is about the residents' right to enjoy their homes in peace.

But Carpenter said that the tournaments throughout the year, starting with Memorial Day and lasting into the fall, bring in teams from other areas that sometimes far outnumber the Basking Ridge teams. 

"We have to address the increase in tournaments with out-of-town teams," said Township Committeeman John Malay. "Until that's addressed, I don't think we will come up with a solution" for parking, he said.

Gaziano said she hoped the Ridge Baseball Club might come up with other ideas for solving its overflow parking between now and the first tournament next spring.

Heffernan later said that in order to have tournaments, Ridge baseball teams have to compete against teams from other towns.


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