Towns to share factory’s tax revenue

A new manufacturing plant will be built on the border of Springfield Township and Wrightstown Borough.

By: Eve Collins
   SPRINGFIELD — Two local communities agreed last week to share tax revenue that will come from a manufacturing plant to be built on the border of the towns.
   Springfield Township and Wrightstown Borough agreed May 15 to share taxes collected from E.P. Henry, the company that will build the 120,000-square-foot plant in the Wrightstown Industrial Park on Saylors Pond Road.
   The park straddles the border between the two communities; 44 acres of it are in Springfield. Officials have said they do not yet know exactly where on the land the plant will be built.
   Through the agreement, the two communities will share tax receipts equally, said Mark Remsa, of the Burlington County Department of Economic Development.
   The amount of revenue has not yet been established, Mr. Remsa said.
   The company will receive a tax abatement, Mr. Remsa said, which will continue for a period of 10 to 30 years.
   The family-owned and operated company is 100 years old and based in Woodbury. The company produces concrete blocks for masonry, paving and landscaping projects.
   Mr. Remsa said the deal also is significant because the township has agreed to adopt the redevelopment plan for the parcel of land, and has agreed to Wrightstown’s zoning for the project.
   "It is uncommon (for a municipality) to give up jurisdiction," said Mr. Remsa. "This was the first major hurdle."
   Springfield Mayor Bill Pettie said that township officials are happy to be doing business with the company. "We’re ecstatic about getting E.P. Henry into Springfield and Wrightstown as a ratable."
   Wrightstown Mayor Tom Harper said the plant is expected to generate a minimum of 100 medium-income jobs for residents. The company is expected to start construction this summer, and hopes to be in production by winter, Mayor Harper said.
   Springfield residents have opposed the plan in past township Planning Board meetings, saying the municipality should be concentrating on developing Route 206. They also complained that light industrial ratables could be the first step on a road to heavier, more destructive commercial endeavors.
   Despite this, Mayor Harper said there was no participation from the audience during the public comment portion of last week’s meeting.