50-house neighborhood attracts interest
By: Cynthia Williamson
LAMBERTVILLE – A contingent of Connaught Hill residents isn’t inclined to let any grass – or trash – collect under its feet.
Since pleading with local officials earlier this year for help with cleaning up their neighborhood, which lies both in Lambertville and West Amwell Township, the homeowners have attracted the attention of government agencies and special interest groups wanting to assist.
About 15 residents met Aug. 17 at the West Amwell municipal building to discuss the progress they’ve made and chart a course for the future. They plan to meet the first Thursday of each month until their problems are solved.
Their concerns include trash-strewn properties, abandoned wells and an above-ground swimming pool that hasn’t been maintained for years and is drawing mosquitoes and other insects. Some residents who live on unpaved or "paper" streets, roads not maintained or even named by the city, said they would be content if the town plowed their road in the winter.
"These citizens should be praised for accomplishing as much as they have in such a short period of time," said West Amwell Deputy Mayor Gary Bleacher, who asked permission to attend the private meeting after learning about it from a resident.
Mr. Bleacher and Lambertville Mayor David Del Vecchio have met jointly with the group to discuss concerns and make a plan for improving the neighborhood of about 50 houses. Mr. Del Vecchio was at the Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles when the residents met last week.
"I think we’ve seen a lot of movement in a short period of time," said city resident Audrey Frankowski, who has been coordinating the group’s efforts with township resident Karen Rissmiller.
Raritan Valley Habitat for Humanity recently announced it is buying a lot on Connaught Hill with plans to build an affordable housing unit and sell it to a low-income family or individual who meets the guidelines. The non-profit Christian ministry will hold a public information session sometime in October but no date for the meeting has been set.
"This is a great boon to us," Ms. Frankowski said. "Not only is some family going to get a home they wouldn’t have been able to afford, but I think it will open the door for other opportunities up here."
The South Branch Watershed Association is organizing volunteers for a fall clean-up of the neighborhood on Oct. 28 between 9 a.m. and noon. Ms. Rissmiller estimates there are more than 300 tires strewn throughout the neighborhood.
A group of township residents got a jump-start on the cleanup effort this week. They did the work, and West Amwell officials agreed to pick up the cost for trash removal and disposal. Although the city does have an annual cleanup week in April, Lambertville has agreed to do the same at no additional cost to residents.
The City Council introduced an ordinance Aug. 10 that would restrict the number of unregistered vehicles on private property to one. Connaught Hill where residents long have complained about abandoned vehicles littering the neighborhood.
Lambertville and West Amwell also have discussed a joint drainage project for the hill community. Mr. Bleacher said it would be an extensive undertaking, but he cannot estimate the cost until Robert Clerico, who serves both the city and township as engineer, finishes working on a design. Officials of both municipalities hope to secure outside financial aid for the work.
South Hunterdon High School Superintendent Cheryl Simone has agreed to add two new bus stops on Connaught Hill, a request some residents said had been denied repeatedly over the years.
"I was impressed with the way it was handled," said Ms. Frankowski, whose daughter would have had to walk a distance from their house to catch the only bus stop on the hill. "Dr. Simone took a tour of the neighborhood so she would be informed when we met with her."
Municipal officials have asked the group to take an inventory of the problem properties and identify the owners.
Township resident Trudy Godown said she quickly learned that is an arduous task when she tried to compare a tax map with property owners. The two pieces of information didn’t always agree.
Another problem is owners of some parcels targeted for cleanup are unknown while others have purchased tax liens
Creation Time : 13:58:31?
User Name : bvandusen?
One does not "purchase" a tax lien. A tax lien is a legal condition levied by a taxing authority brought to force payment of unpaid taxes. The lien prevents any sale of the property until the tax liability has been met. So what is she saying here? Is it that the ownership of some properties is in dispute, or that the ownership records are inaccurate or what? -NT> but don’t hold a title to the property.
"Hopefully, when we move into the next phase, we could recommend the towns purchase property and build a park, for example," Mrs. Godown said.
The group is waiting to hear from government officials representing numerous federal agencies who took a tour of the community this spring. The federal representatives said they couldn’t promise money but may be able to assist in other ways.