Madison Zoning Board to Hear Appeals in Field Lighting Dispute

Madison's Zoning Board of Adjustment has scheduled a special meeting for 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 6 at to hear formal applications for appeals in the ongoing dispute over proposed lighting at Chatham's Cougar Field.

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.

The panel earlier postponed a Sept. 1 meeting in the case, which dates to 1996.

In 2008, state Superior Court Judge W. Hunt Dumont ruled in Morristown that a plan to install lights at Cougar Field would require zoning board approvals in Chatham Township, Chatham Borough and Madison.

But in 2009, the Chatham High School Athletic Boosters said that it would provide funding to install lights on a field near Cougar Field, thereby subverting Madison's jurisdiction and Dumont's ruling.

In response, Madison officials said that the new field still fell within their purview and that the court's ruling applies.

Most recently, attorneys for both sides on Aug. 12 argued that in rejecting a potential application, Russo should have indicated what additional variances were needed.