Hopewell Township officials OK extra money for Else land purchase

If all of the additional $200,000 is spent, the total purchase price of the land could be as high as $2,725,000.

By John Tredrea
   An ordinance amendment that will enable Hopewell Township to pay the extra money needed for buy the Else tract was approved by the Township Committee Feb. 6.
   The measure allows township officials to spend up to $200,000 more than originally anticipated to preserve about 65 acres off state Route 31 as open space.
   If all of the additional $200,000 is spent, it would bring the total purchase price of the land as high as $2,725,000. The money will come from the township’s open space tax revenues.
   On Nov. 1, the committee voted unanimously to spend up to $2,525,000 on the 60-odd acres, owned by the Else family. The land is on the eastern side of state Route 31, just south of the county Route 654 intersection. Pennytown Shopping Village is located just north of that intersection.
   During the public hearing that preceded the committee’s Feb. 6 vote on the amendment, township resident William Schoelwer asked if the township had been sued by the Else family after their land had been rezoned, about a year ago, from commercial to residential.
   Committeewoman Marylou Ferrara said the property indeed had been one of those involved in litigation pertaining to the rezoning of about three-fourths of the 58-square mile township, but she and Committeeman Jon Edwards defended the purchase of the Else land nonetheless.
   "It’s a good piece of property that could have been overdeveloped," Ms. Ferrara said. She added that the township’s process of moving toward the Else purchase began before the property became involved in a lawsuit. "Our Open Space Advisory Committee had recommended" investigating purchase of the Else tract before the litigation began, she said.
   Mr. Edwards said acquisition of the Else tract "fits beautifully into our vision of Route 31," which is to keep the "look and feel of a rural township" as opposed to a road lined by strip malls. He added that the Else tract could become part of a network of township trails created by open space acquisitions.
   The amendment adopted by the Township Committee Feb. 6 states that, since Nov. 1, "appraisals obtained of the subject property have resulted in a value and purchase price of the property greater than originally anticipated." Hence the need for the amendment that was adopted Feb. 6.
   The money spent by the township on the Else tract will include all engineering, surveying, title work and legal costs in addition to the cost of the land itself.