Township releases bonds for the Point

Township officials met with Lawrenceville Point residents and the developer’s representatives to work out a compromise.

By: Lea Kahn
   Township Council, satisfied with a developer’s promise to make repairs, voted 4-0 Tuesday to release a portion of the performance and soil disturbance bonds that it holds.
   Mayor Doris Weisberg was absent.
   The council was set to release 70 percent of the two bonds to the developer of the Lawrenceville Point senior citizens housing development on Bunker Hill Road at its Jan. 22 meeting, but held back at the request of residents.
   The state Municipal Land Use Law allows a developer to request the release of 70 percent of a performance or soil disturbance bond, provided 70 percent of the work has been completed and approved by the municipal engineer. A developer must put up the bonds at the beginning of a project to ensure that work is completed to the township’s satisfaction.
   The residents made the request because they found problems with their houses. Those problems ranged from cracked foundations to crumbling patios, they said.
   However, those items are not covered by the performance bond. Performance bonds cover public improvements such as roads, street lights, storm sewers, landscaping and grading. It does not cover items on private property, such as patios, driveways and the sidewalks that lead from the driveway to the front door.
   The cracked foundations and crumbling patios would be covered by the homeowner’s warranty, said Municipal Manager William Guhl.
   The cracked foundation at Lawrenceville Point is a matter of stucco that chipped off the foundation, and the crumbling patios may be the result of salt that was used to remove snow last winter, developer Peter Blicher said last week. He agreed to take care of that work.
   Mr. Guhl told the council Tuesday that he and Municipal Engineer Christopher Budzinski met with residents and the developer’s representatives at Lawrenceville Point last week. Following the meeting, the residents said they saw no reason to withhold the bonds, he said.
   The council agreed Tuesday to release 70 percent of the $1.3 million performance bond, or $958,190. It also agreed to release 70 percent of the $58,410 soil disturbance bond, or $19,858. The soil disturbance bond covers erosion control measures.
   Mr. Guhl said that after the remaining 30 percent of the performance bond is released, a developer must take out a one-year maintenance bond. The maintenance bond amounts to 15 percent of the original performance bond, he said.