Summit Faces Two Lawsuits As Officials Weigh What To Tell Residents

SUMMIT, NJ — Two lawsuits involving the City of Summit are moving forward, and officials are trying to balance residents’ desire for answers with the limits of discussing active legal matters.

The legal disputes involve the future of the former Old Firehouse property and a separate case connected to a zoning board matter involving Beacon Unitarian Church.

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During Tuesday’s Common Council meeting, Councilmember Jaclyn Lasaracina addressed the lawsuits and acknowledged that residents want to better understand what is happening.

“There’s sensitivities around lawsuits, but the community wants to know more, and we understand, because this is litigation against the community. It impacts all of us,” Lasaracina said.

One of the lawsuits involves the former Old Firehouse property, which has drawn attention from residents because of its location and the city’s plans for its future redevelopment.

The dispute stems from a planned sale of the property. According to city officials, the previous council approved the sale to contract purchaser K&K in December 2025, and the contract was signed on Dec. 31, 2025.

Officials said K&K later withdrew from the agreement and filed a lawsuit against the city alleging a breach of contract.

The dispute centers around a 2001 agreement between the City of Summit and Saint Teresa’s involving parking and access rights connected to the church.

During Tuesday’s meeting, Lasaracina read from the developer’s complaint, including K&K’s allegation that “the city intentionally misrepresented and concealed a material fact by not disclosing the Saint Teresa’s parking lot agreement from June of 2001.”

The city has disputed those allegations.

“The bottom line is, we will strenuously defend the city’s position, and we will work as hard as we can to protect the city’s position and interest,” Lasaracina said.

She added that the lawsuit is still in its early stages.

The second lawsuit involves Beacon Unitarian Church and proceedings before the Summit Zoning Board.

Lasaracina said the city is named in the case but explained that the matter involves the zoning board.

“This was a zoning board matter,” she said. “So, any questions and further comment, I would defer to the zoning board.”

The lawsuits also led to a broader discussion among council members about how officials should communicate with residents while legal matters are ongoing.

Councilmember Jamel Boyer said he wants to make sure residents receive as much information as possible while following legal guidance.

“I’m always told that we can’t speak about litigation and certain matters,” Boyer said. “I’d like some guidance on what we can discuss and what we should avoid discussing because I want to give the public as much information as I can.”

City Solicitor Matthew Giacobbe explained that council members can discuss information contained in publicly filed court documents but should avoid commenting beyond those filings.

“If something is written in a publicly filed complaint, the council can read it into the record. It’s already public,” Giacobbe said. “Any comments further than that, I would not recommend, and we shouldn’t encourage that.”

Both lawsuits remain in their early stages, and officials said additional information will be shared when it can be discussed publicly.