Former Rec. Chair Raises CMS Field Process Concerns, Poage Declines to Answer Without Attorney

At the Berkeley Heights Planning Board meeting on April 8, former Recreation Commission Chair Ed Gallitelli presses officials on whether the Commission – which, under municipal code, has jurisdiction over township parks and fields – was formally involved in approving or advancing the Lower Columbia project.

What follows is a revealing back-and-forth that highlights gaps in documentation, uncertainty from officials, and what appears to be a breakdown in communication between the Township, the Recreation Commission, and the public. The question at the center: how did a project of this scale move forward without clear, documented approval from the body traditionally responsible for these facilities?