PRO intends grant money to buy Baker

Friday, July 29, 2005

By EJVIND BOCCOLINI

The Warren Reporter

PHILLIPSBURG -- The Phillipsburg Riverview Organization would like to use a recent $500,000 grant it received to purchase the 125-acre Baker Residential tract on Route 57 in Washington Borough. Baker's application was originally denied in 2002 by the Borough planning board, followed by litigation between Baker and the borough, and now, most recently, a possible settlement between the two parties which would permit Baker to build a scaled-down 162-unit townhouse development.

The PRO, which in 2004 also used a $500,000 grant to contribute to the purchase a 466-acre tract in White Township and in 2005 contributed another $500,000 grant toward the purchase of a 90-acre tract in Holland Township (Hunterdon County), is now hoping to preserve the Baker tract with another $500,000 grant (the maximum of Green Acres per non-profit project allowed by the program).

"It's possible that Baker would be receptive, and the borough officials are in a very good position to talk to Baker about this," said PRO Chairperson Mike King. When asked why, King said, "Because they're already discussing settlement. They're discussing the lawsuit with Baker. They could go back to the table and start talking 'purchase.'"

King said that in addition to this borough land, the PRO is also looking at contributing a $500,000 grant toward the purchase of land in Franklin Township where the proposed 120-unit townhouse Brandywine development would be located.

King said the reason these pieces of land are valuable is because the Baker tract is on the second highest tier, as rated by the state, with respect to the recharge level of groundwater. King said he believes it is between 12 to 15 inches per year that are absorbed there.

"So everyone who drinks water between the Baker tract in the borough and the Delaware River should be concerned about this," he said.

Also, the Brandywine site in Franklin Township is crisscrossed by C-1 creeks and tributaries, he said, which is requiring that the developer redesign the site plan in order to try to stay away from them.

"So the construction of these townhouses that they're talking about there (Brandywine) are very likely to seriously impact the C-1 tributaries and creeks," King said, adding that,” This is how we're deciding these are priorities to pursue."

King noted that, "We're only at the first step of offering this," and added that he hopes the borough officials will not continue with the Baker settlement until PRO has the opportunity to pitch its purchase proposal.

The Borough planning board has rescheduled meetings to discuss the settlement with Baker due to public outcry over the proposed settlement.

"It will make it much more difficult to secure this (proposed purchase) if the borough just stubbornly goes on with this (the settlement with Baker), even despite all the information and the dispute (by some residents) of almost every point that they (the council) made about why they feel they need to settle," said King. "The fiscal impact on the borough is going to be tremendous," he said, due to the number of school children coming in with the development.

"We're starting by offering the $500,000 toward the purchase of it," he said, adding that then the owner has to be willing to sell it.

With respect to the PRO grant, King said, "Whichever uses it first, we will get another $500,000," and when King was asked if he is sure they can get another grant he indicated that PRO could. "It's not immediate and there is a legislative process here. As you use your funds they're replenished," he explained.

King said the funding was not earmarked for the Baker tract, but the PRO board of directors has previously decided that Baker is a priority.

"So the $500,000 is not earmarked to any specific thing, and whichever (land tract purchase) we can get going, is where we'll go with it," he said.