SCOTCH PLAINS — The township council last week approved a $3.365-million bond ordinance to finance its purchase of the Highland Swim Club property on Martine Avenue, with the intent being to use the five-acre site for recreational purposes of some sort.
Once the sale is completed in the Fall — which will allow the swim club to have a 74th and final summer season — the township recreation commission will begin discussions, with public input, about what to do with the property and then make recommendations to the council, according to Deputy Mayor Matt Adams. The goal now, he said at the April 29 meeting, is to acquire the property and preserve it as open space and then begin to look into how it should be used.
Diane Dabulas, who lives on adjacent Mary Ellen Lane, questioned the council at the public hearing about a number of matters and was frustrated by the lack of specifics regarding the ultimate use of the property. She also pointed out that, in her estimation, half of the property is wetlands, calling into question the purchase price that she said, “seemed a little high to me.” She further noted the wildlife living on the property and asked how the appraisal of the lot was done.
Norman Swenson, a Fenimore Drive resident who was formerly involved in overseeing another swim club, told the council that the purchase price seemed “very high” to him and was critical of what he said was the governing body’s approach of “buy it and see if it works out.”
Two members of the swim club’s board of trustees spoke last week in support of the sale, with President Neil Fitzsimmons calling the decision to sell a “difficult” one but adding that it was “refreshing” to know that the property will be preserved. Lucas Hammons, another board member, said that anyone having concerns about the township’s acquisition needed to realize that the choice is between the municipality buying the property or having a developer build housing. The sale, he said, “is the best option.”
At a recreation commission meeting in March, Mr. Adams said that the swim club had approached the township about its interest in purchasing the property. He said that $1.8 million of any purchase price will be covered by a state grant and added that a deed restriction is being contemplated so the property remains as open space.
In other business, Mayor Joshua Losardo provided an update on the planned redevelopment of the former Snuffy’s/Pantagis property, saying that the Lidl supermarket chain, which owns the 5.5-acre site, has “taken some time” to comply with the township’s stormwater-management requirements but that most of those issues have now been resolved. Lidl, which plans to build a supermarket, separate retail space and a bus commuter parking lot, recently sent building façade material samples to township redevelopment officials for review. Once those officials are satisfied that Lidl will build what the planning board approved nearly two years ago, then it will get the necessary approvals to move forward.
Lidl is also waiting for state approvals to open up a section of Park Avenue so that two, century-old underground tanks, which served a gasoline station formerly located on the property, can be removed. “Things are moving and heading in the right direction,” the mayor concluded.
Among the ordinances introduced at last week’s meeting was one pertaining to tree removal and replacement. Deputy Mayor Adams said that the ordinance was “the culmination of a multi-year effort” by the environmental commission to create a new tree ordinance to bring the township into compliance with new state department of environmental protection (DEP) requirements. It will require that certain protocols be followed when trees on public property are removed and replaced, something that will be important when downtown redevelopment gets underway. Mr. Adams praised the commission and its chairman, Bill Picard, for their efforts, which included attending DEP seminars on crafting the ordinance. The public hearing on the tree ordinance will be held on Tuesday, May 20.
At the start of last week’s meeting, two recent promotions in the police department were announced, with Lieutenant Mark Lynch and Sergeant Melissa Rivera being sworn into their new roles by Mayor Losardo. Deputy Chief Al Sellinger, who retired on April 30 after nearly 24 years with the department, spoke briefly, calling it “a blessing, honor and privilege to serve this town and to wear the uniform and serve.” Deputy Mayor Adams, the council liaison to the police department, called Mr. Sellinger “a staple of the community” who “will be sorely missed.”
Multiple proclamations were issued last week, including those recognizing May as Building Safety Month and Mental Health Awareness Month; May 4 as International Firefighters’ Day; May 6 to 12 as National Nurses Week and April as Donate Life Month, Autism Acceptance Month and Sexual Assault Awareness Month. In connection with the last proclamation, April 30 was designated as Denim Day, a global campaign that raises awareness about sexual violence and victim-blaming.
