Mayor Vergano said the $12.2M deal won’t be final until this fall.
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WAYNE, NJ — Patrons of the Wayne YMCA told officials their concerns about the future of the building on 1 Pike Drive, as the township council approved negotiation of a $12.2 million sale agreement for the facility.
Mayor Chris Vergano addressed the crowd before the public comment period at Wednesday’s three-hour-long meeting, saying that the township will keep most of the Y staff, and aims to keep current programs running.
“We’re going to need all these instructors to keep doing the great things that they’re doing today,” he said.
Officials are planning to turn the 14.2-acre property into the first Wayne Township community center, which will be run by the Parks and Recreation department.
“We’re going to run this like a recreation facility, the same way we do the pool and the lake,” Vergano said, adding that the township will charge dues for members to help keep the building running. Out-of-town members may still join the center, he said.
The YMCA has 145,904 square feet of space and ample opportunities for recreational programming with a swimming facility, theater, indoor gym, lecture and instructional rooms, as township officials noted when discussing why it was so appealing for a future community building.
“We want to utilize that theater more than it’s being utilized now,” Vergano said.
Current members expressed worry that classes and events would be too pricey, that classes would fill up too quickly, and that it would be difficult for the Parks and Rec Department to keep up with the breadth of programming the Y currently offers.
“I don’t know if you’re going to be able to offer the same things that the Y at the same price point they do,” said speaker Jay Lance, who said the Y also relies on grants and private donations.
Member Cindy Wolkowitz spoke highly of the instructors in the group fitness classes she goes to, saying they are a core part of the experience.
“If you open up the membership to all of Wayne, will there be enough classes?” asked Wolkowitz, who said she attends about eight sessions a week.
One mom read a letter from her 11-year-old daughter, who advocated strongly for the Y’s theater programs and said she was worried they would discontinue. Senior residents also said they were concerned costs would be too much on a fixed income. Other parents wanted to make sure the new center would be an inclusive place for those with disabilities, or make sure they had child care for their young kids.
Some other residents said they supported the purchase, saying that Wayne has been in need of a community center for a while; though one supporter said residents don’t have enough time to consider things like this before it comes up for a vote.
The Metro Y of the Oranges exercised their right to purchase the building from the Young Mens and Young Womens Hebrew Association (YM-YWHA) of North Jersey earlier this year, and met with township officials to discuss plans for the future.
These talks sparked further discussion among Wayne officials about providing a township-run facility to provide more space for youth groups and senior activities, serve as a hub for community programming, and house both the Parks Department and the Health Department offices.
The building was estimated to be worth $16 million, Vergano said.
The town plans to use money from the Open Space Fund to pay for the project, with no additional cost to residents — as this fund has been part of their annual tax bill since about 2003. Wayne collects more than $1 million per year from this fund, Vergano said.
“Instead of building a playground, we’ll be using that money to pay for the Y,” he explained.
Officials introduced a bond ordinance at Wednesday’s meeting, which they will vote on in a future session.
Related article: $12.2M Agreement Proposed For Township To Purchase Wayne YMCA
