What has happened to our Mendham Borough government?

I believe that we have a real problem here in Mendham Borough with our local government.  It smells like a swamp to me.  I’ll share my story and let you decide for yourself.

For nearly 35 years, our family has lived in, and cared for, the our 285-year old Mendham home at the intersection of Cherry Lane and Talmage Road in the Borough of Mendham.  In keeping with that “careful custody,” we decided two years ago that we were ready to invest over $100,000 to replace an old, damaged wooden fence that had become an eyesore with a nicer “New England-style” fieldstone fence that would enhance the appearance of what is the second oldest homestead in Mendham.  This project would also better protect our expanding family (we have recently become grandparents) from dangerous passing motorists who have repeatedly careened into our yard, and sometimes, through our fence in recent years.  We thought we were doing the community a service by replacing what had become an eyesore with a beautiful fieldstone fence.

That was two years ago.  The eyesore has only become worse since then.  Why? Because the elected and appointed officials of the Borough of Mendham have consistently done everything possible to frustrate our efforts.  I have been repeatedly lied to and delayed and, earlier this year, dragged into State court by these officials, costing me an unnecessary additional $50,000 (and counting) and likely costing Borough taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars to date, in their effort to prevent our family from protecting its members and enhancing the beauty of our property in a manner that completely conforms with both the Borough’s own Municipal Code and its own historical exercise of jurisdiction.  Their behavior has harmed both us and, likely, the community.

Exactly what type of fence is being proposed? It’s a 30″ high stone fieldstone fence (dry-laid, mortar-back) running along — and 4 feet back from the edge of — the abutting roads, Talmage Road and Cherry Lane.  A small, unfinished sample the Borough subsequently forced me destroy is pictured just above.  It is replacing a combination of a 40-year old wooden fence, a section of a centuries old stone fence and a privat hedge, all of which have been partially destroyed over recent years by multiple irresponsible (drunk and/or distracted) passing motorists careening onto our property.

As a result of this 2-year ordeal, which has included stonewalling, lying and threats by these Borough officials that continues to this day, I have lost my trust that the individuals that have been elected or appointed to serve in our Borough government are able — or even wish — to do so effectively. I see our local government as a swamp, where this sort of festering behavior thrives.  And, if it can happen to our family, it can happen to yours.  My wife grew up in Mendham. We have reared our family, and served the community, here in Mendham over the past 35 years.  We have been dutiful caretakers of this local treasure, the second oldest home in Mendham, which dates back to 1740.  Our four children are now adults.  We have remained in our home, paying taxes to support our local schools, even though we no longer have children in the system.  Others in the community supported our children when they were in the school system, so we been happy to “return the favor.”  We’re starting to wonder if we have failed to appreciate how our local government has evolved over the past decade and what impact that might have on our beloved community.

So, why. would the Borough government go so far out of its way to frustrate our efforts to simply beautify and protect our property — in complete conformity with the Borough’s own local ordinances — and enable us to protect our family at the same time from irresponsible passing motorists?  Why would this government treat our conforming stone fence so differently from all of the other conforming stone fences that abound in Mendham Borough’s rights of way, as ours will?  Is it a personal grudge of some sort?  And, even if someone in the Borough does have some personal grudge against someone in our family, what municipality would not want such a nice, aesthetically-appropriate fence for one of its historic homesteads, instead of a broken down eyesore and pile of rocks, for the community to behold?  What municipality would want to go to such great lengths, deceit and taxpayer expense to frustrate the reasonable request of a constituent?  What municipality would behave so foolishly and callously on our collective behalf?  Apparently, Mendham Borough.  

Here is the story of my 2-year long (and counting) ordeal…