Verona residents petition against potential move of rescue squad

A group of Verona residents has banded together to formally oppose the township’s purchase of the Congregation Beth Ahm property on Grove Avenue and the potential relocation of the Verona Rescue Squad to that locale.

The petition, submitted to the township on May 24, has gathered more than 250 signatures to oppose the sale and repurposing of the synagogue. The Verona Township Council voted yes on May 1 to approve the nearly $1 million purchase, as the synagogue intends to merge with another religious institution.

Trish Calandra, one of the organizers of the petition and a resident of Grove Avenue for 17 years, said most of the people in the immediate area she spoke to did not want to see the Verona Rescue Squad moved there.

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“In talking to people regarding this matter, we found that most residents were not well-informed but were very interested to learn more about it,” Calandra said. “While everyone agreed that we need, appreciate and truly value the Verona Rescue Squad, most feel that this residential neighborhood is not the right place for it.”

The current Verona Rescue Squad building on Church Street has limited parking and space for the vehicles, and issues with handicapped accessibility, according to Township Manager Matthew Cavallo.

The building also lacks a proper training area for the crew, a decontamination area for the equipment, and no place for the volunteers to sleep when covering overnight shifts.

According to Calandra, safety is one of the main concerns of the residents of the neighborhood. 

“This is an extremely busy corner where the three largest Verona schools' foot traffic intersects,” she said. “Between heavy traffic, reckless drivers and droves of vulnerable pedestrians, safety is already a huge issue at this corner, especially at morning drop-off and afternoon pickup.”

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Other issues could be sirens, flashing lights and beeping of the Verona Rescue Squad vehicles, the potential decrease in property values and cost to taxpayers, noted Calandra.

Verona Mayor Kevin Ryan said the township’s legal counsel will review the petition.

“I’m not totally surprised by it,” Ryan said, “because I had heard rumors that a petition was going around, but we’ll have to see what counsel says regarding the timeliness of it and what steps the council can and can’t take.”

In addition to the petition, the neighboring residents started a Facebook page called Verona Neighborhood Coalition and held meetings among themselves to discuss the Verona Rescue Squad's potential move.

During the first public discussion on the purchase of the property on May 1, Verona Rescue Squad Capt. Fred Tempesta objected to notions that the organization moving to Grove Avenue would jeopardize safety. Tempesta said the unit's drivers are exceptionally well-trained and he takes great pride in the squad.

"We do not drive quickly and we do take due regard for the law," Tempesta said. "... At no time has our location endangered the children in the area."

Email: jongsma@northjersey.com