Page 8 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • August 15, 2012 Midland Park The Midland Park Borough Council last week agreed to support the zoning board of adjustment in its decision to appeal a court decision that would permit the erection of a flagless-style cell tower at the Sears shopping center property on Godwin Avenue. The council, however, limited the expense to a $15,000 maximum. Mayor Patrick “Bud” O’Hagan said he had discussed the fee with Doug Doyle of the law firm DeCotiis, FitzPatrick and Cole, the attorney handling the appeal for the board, and had been able to negotiate the cap. Doyle had been the board’s attorney at the time the board rendered its deci- Borough council will fund cell tower appeal sion. The council had originally opposed the appeal, expressing reservations about the likelihood of being successful based on recent court decisions on similar cases. “We have every confidence in reversing this decision. We are supporting the appeal in spite of what our concerns are. This is the best way of protecting the community,” O’Hagan said. The mayor said that the attorney will argue in its appeal to the Appellate Division of Superior Court that the judge may not have taken enough information into consideration when deciding to reverse the board’s decision and allow the tower. “Midland Park submitted an alternate location for the monopole. The judge acknowledged that fact but ignored it. Perhaps with the appeal we can open a new dialogue,” O’Hagan said. The mayor said that the alternate site proposed by the borough, the A&P shopping center on Lake Street, “will assure Verizon and the other co-locators that they have reached the lowest lying area of Midland Park.” In May Judge Menelaos Toskos reversed a Midland Park Board of Adjustment decision of February, 2011 denying the application of Verizon and T-Mobile to erect a 110 ft. monopole capable of supporting four locators on the Sears property. He remanded the case back to the board only for site plan consideration and “the imposition of reasonable restrictions.” In his 17-page decision, Judge Toskos said that the board had failed to present qualified expert testimony to show that the proposed monopole would have an adverse effect on aesthetics or on the property value of neighboring properties, that alternate sites were suitable and available, or that there would be a substantial impact on noise, sewage, traffic or other concerns. Francis J. Rodriguez, M.S., of Midland Park, a member of the Ramapo College Foundation Board of Governors, has received the foundation’s Mission Award in recognition of his distinguished service to the foundation and the college. In his service, he has also helped to fulfill the foundation’s mission to provide “the resources that make the difference in Ramapo College’s quest for educational excellence. Instituted in 1998, the Mission Award is presented each year at the Ramapo College Foundation’s annual meeting. Rodriguez has been a member of the Ramapo College Foundation Board of Governors since 2004. He is involved with the foundation’s Performing Arts Dinner Series and Planned Giving Committee. Rodriguez receives foundation’s Mission Award He serves as vice president of the Friends of Ramapo and is a past president. He currently serves on Ramapo’s Anisfield School of Business Advisory Board. “On behalf of the board of governors, I am delighted to present Francis with the Mission Award,” said Cathleen Davey, executive director of the Ramapo College Foundation. “He has been an asset to planning our Performing Arts Dinner Series and has been instrumental in increasing membership in the Friends of Ramapo. He is a wonderful example of a board (member) deserving of this honor.” Rodriguez and his wife, Judith, have established scholarships at Ramapo College for students in international business, environmental science, theoretical and Ramapo College President Peter P. Mercer (left) and Ramapo College Foundation Board of Governors Chairman Robert Tillsley (right) present Francis J. Rodriguez of Midland Park (center) with the Foundation’s Mission Award. Rodriguez was recognized for his distinguished service to the Foundation and the College. (Photo courtesy of Carolyn Herring.) applied science, and bioinformatics. Professionally, Rodriguez is associate director of RCC Consultants, Inc. in Woodbridge, a global telecommunications engineering and consulting firm serving public and private sector clients.