Dear Editor:
At last night’s Council meeting, I was surprised to learn that Mayor Barberio is trying to slide 2 more PILOTs in before the end of the year. On the public agenda before the meeting, there was never any mention of 4 Gatehall Drive and 2 Sylvan Way as being “Areas in Need of Redevelopment.” For those who are not aware, the first step to getting a PILOT is a resolution from the PTH Council which needs to be introduced at the Agenda Meeting. Last night’s meeting was not an Agenda meeting.
If PILOTs are as good as the Mayor and John Inglesino claim, why do they continue to try and sell it in the most obtuse and sneaky way? Once these PILOT projects go up they will affect the town and services in a great deal of ways. None of which are good in my opinion. The Gatehall project will border on residential properties in Sedgefield and Glacier Hills. Put yourself in the position of the residents in the surrounding communities. How would you like these projects in your backyard? At a prior Council Meeting on October 8, 2024, a township resident expressed his concern that PILOTs added to the student population of the schools. Mayor Barberio responded falsely that Pilots are not responsible for the increase in student attendance in the schools. In prior meetings in November and December of 2023 Mr Barberio stated on more than one occasion that these projects could not get built without the PILOT-driven tax abatements. Therefore they are a catalyst in increasing the number of students in the schools. In reality, there would be none of these large apartment buildings going up all over town if they were not given 30-year tax exemptions courtesy of the Barberio administration. The Mayor is subsidizing the very thing he claims to be against.
I grew up in this town and have lived here my entire life. I have never seen a Democrat or Republican Mayor who is hellbent on developing every blade of grass that exists in this town. It is obvious that Parsippany needs an immediate change in leadership, one that will not be all too cozy with the developers and their representatives.
From a lifelong resident,
Patrick DiVitantonio
