To ease the fear of who will pay to fight this if it goes to court. The answer is simple. Agilent will pay. For every month they hold title to 140 Green Pond Road, they are contributing $52,000 towards legal fees. Where is Agilent on this? Although $52,000 a month is chump change for a major corporation, the company hasn’t turned a profit in years and they probably don’t want this money pit to get tied up in litigation. I would be interested to know what the terms of their agreement are with CC. What are the time restrictions? Is the property back up for sale? Unless Becket can get the case fast-tracked, it will take years to go in front of the Supreme Court. Of course that is after the year or so in front of the Planning Board and Zoning Board. We havn't even scratched the surface on the real issues with this application.
...and even if it's in the taxpayers' laps, it doesn't hold a candle to the GUARANTEED $630,000 we'll be responsible for, for the rest of our years in Rockaway.
A mandatory $40-60 donation to an organization we don't even participate in:
* An organization that isn't even comprised of people from our own community.
* An organization that is prepared to fight to the end--"if that means litigation, so be it". At the same time promising to be a good neighbor.
* An organization whose leadership DID INDEED tell the local clergy that if their establishment were not welcome here, they would not come.
I'm fine with taking the risk.
Otherwise we're just rolling over and asking for it--every year.
I didn't move to the upper Green Pond Road area from White Meadow Lake to be stuck in traffic--traffic comprised not of members of our own community.
Traffic not comprised, either, of employees traveling to work at a tax-paying, job-providing company in our own community.
I certainly didn't move to Rockaway to be bullied and bossed around by Sharptonesque strong-arm tactics such as those demonstrated by the Becket Fund and, by proxy, Christ Church.
Did any of you?
I'm in this for the long haul--even if it means litigation.
because with an attitude like that, you are just setting yourself up for a BIG disappointment.
It may be news to you, but YOU don't own your town. Others are allowed to move in and do things that you might not agree with. And it might increase the traffic. There's no guaruntee in the Constitution that you get a worry free drive to work each day, sister, so you better get used to it.
If you haven't notice, freedom of religion is a cornerstone of this great nation, and a few dozen bumpkins screaming from the hilltops certainly won't change that.
You are being more stubborn and unreasonable than you probably will ever realize, and that is sad.
Karen, I couldn't agree more. Lawyers are expensive but not $630,000 per year expensive. I've been as yet unable to understand why this town would allow itself to bullied into letting this disaster happen when it's actually cheaper for the taxpayers to fight it in court. Can anyone provide a reason why the town would not be willing to go to court over this?
