By: Les Sdorow
WEST AMWELL – At the Oct. 4 meeting of the Township Committee, Committee member Nance Palladino briefly discussed the township’s Web site – www.westamwelltwp.org.
The Web site provides a township directory, meeting dates, committee agendas and minutes, a calendar of events, information about services, West Amwell’s historical background, and links to other relevant Web sites.
Ms. Palladino pointed out as an example of the site’s usefulness information on the site about an upcoming seminar about bears. The seminar was prompted by repeated sightings of a bear near South Hunterdon High School.
In other business, Adam Wengryn, who specializes in historic renovations, asked committee members for permission to salvage materials of historic value from the old farmhouse located on municipal building property before its impending demolition.
"The farmhouse has stuff you can’t buy from a lumberyard," Mr. Wengryn said. "It should be recognized. There are structural items, glass and other things. There might be planks that we could use in the small museum project that’s planned."
Mayor William Comly said, "But planks are no good if they’re bug-infested. They could be worth a lot if not."
The committee members approved Mr. Wengryn’s request to salvage what he can from the building.
Committeeman Gary Bleacher raised the possibility of selling township land on Connaught Hill to Habitat for Humanity to use as the site on which to construct a home for a low-income family.
"We own five contiguous slivers of land," Mr. Bleacher said. "There’s a possibility we can sell that piece of land."
Ms. Palladino asked, "How big is it?"
Township Clerk Betty Jane Hunt answered, "Each parcel is 25 feet long. Mr. Bleacher said, "If you want, I can approach Habitat about it."
Mayor Comly announced the results of two appraisals on the land near Route 179 outside Lambertville purchased by the township for $3.85 million. The land was obtained as part of a legal settlement with Calton Homes. Mr. Comly reported one appraisal of $5.5 million and another of $11.5 million for the land.
Ms. Hunt later remarked this showed the Township Committee’s wisdom in purchasing the land for use as open space. She noted the builder had proposed more than 400 homes for the site, but will build only 98 as part of the agreement.
According to Ms. Hunt, the land purchased by the township will be used for passive recreation. She indicated she hoped this would convince those who opposed the purchase it was money well spent.
