Dear Editor,

After reading the platform statement from the Rooney - DePhillips campaign for Wyckoff Township Committee, I can’t help but think they forgot to list three important things: Mom, apple pie, and Chevrolet. Who are these two politicians kidding? Mr. Rooney, a real estate developer/manager, is the current Chairman of the Zoning Board and one of the major players responsible for granting all the zoning variances to builders and developers in Wyckoff, making Wyckoff a ‘builder’s paradise’ of recent years. Mr. DePhillips is a lawyer and a registered lobbyist. The last lawyer we had on the Township Committee negotiated with the developer to get us the horror we all see at Boulder Run, right smack dab in the middle of our once bucolic Township.

And now they’re jumping on the ‘what’s popular’ bandwagon, claiming they’re all for open space. But where were they when Diane Sobin, Brian Hubert, and the other members of Friends of Wyckoff initiated the petition that allowed voters to decide if a municipal Open Space Fund was right for Wyckoff? And after Wyckoff voters approved the fund, where were they when Diane, Brian, and The Friends implored our Township Committee to convene a specific Open Space Committee? Mr. Rooney, Mr. DePhillips, the good people of Wyckoff don’t deserve politicians jumping on the ‘what’s popular’ bandwagon and telling us what you think we want to hear. Shame on you.

Sincerely,

Martin Costello