Page 6 THE VILLADOM TIMES II • July 31, 2013 Area VFW, borough consider exchange of property by Jennifer Crusco The Washington Elm VFW Post 192 (Ho-Ho-Kus-- Ridgewood) and the Borough of Ho-Ho-Kus are discuss- ing an exchange of property at the borough’s municipal parking lot near the train station. The exchange would allow the veterans to construct the new building the group approved several years ago. After the new building is in place, the borough would receive the VFW’s building and property on Cliff Street. Although the VFW already owns a building and prop- erty, a lease with the Ramapo Valley Railroad Club has restricted the veterans’ access to that building. The origi- nal lease was signed in the 1990s, before the VFW under- went a significant revitalization eight years ago. Once the VFW became more active, limited access to the building became a significant issue. Under the terms of the lease, the veterans are allowed to use the building once a month and once a week before Memorial Day. Several years ago, the VFW planned to raze the Cliff Street building and construct a new home for Post 192, but the railroad club did not support those plans. The VFW then approached the borough to buy the neighbor- ing property for a construction project. When that matter was close to a vote, the state VFW said the local post’s lease with the club was invalid, and the project was put on hold. Post 192 later attempted to evict the club. The VFW claimed that the club violated the lease, and asked the club to remedy the violations. The case went to court and An artisit’s rendering of the proposed VFW building. was dismissed without prejudice. Mayor Thomas Randall said the property exchange concept was proposed by the VFW and the discussions are preliminary. “It’s something we felt we should pursue,” Randall told Villadom TIMES last week, adding that the exchange includes what the mayor called attractive options for the borough, such as the possibility of a net increase in com- muter parking spaces. (continued on page 16)