BY ELAINE VAN DEVELDE
Staff Writer
EDISON — The price of open space may be high, advocates of the open space tax say, but preserving quality of life is priceless.
But Anthony Russomanno, a former member of the township’s Open Space advisory committee, and several other residents have questioned some of the purchases.
For instance, a July 18, 2001, appraisal of the Oak Tree Pond site done by McGuire Associates, Jersey City, valued the property at $4,380,000.
But the appraisal was based on the potential to develop the property, Russomanno said.
“The site is vacant with approvals to construct a 23,100-square-foot retail strip center,” the appraisal summary said.
Developer Jack Morris bought the land from Thomas Swales for $1.4 million, according to county deed records.
Morris was given approvals to build a strip mall on the 6-acre site. When people protested, he sold the land back to the township for $5.6 million, according to the deed records.
The last appraisal done was completed after the township had approved the Morris project.
“The approvals were in place,” said former Councilman William Stephens, who served on the council at the time. “Of course, that increases the value. Then who makes out? The connected developer. We had that property appraised several times. It just kept going up.”
But escalating property value is just a harsh reality, said Council Vice President Parag Patel.
“The values of all real estate throughout Edison has appreciated significantly in recent years,” Patel said. “Therefore, the price of preserving all open space in Edison is high. However, we must continue our efforts to safeguard open space for future generations before it’s too late.”
The tax is a small price to pay “to protect our green space and our quality of life, Patel said.
But while saving space is critical, there has been too much money wasted on properties that are clearly not valued at what is spent, Russomanno said.
Appraisal and county deed records show the following:
•A 3.72-acre piece of property at 20 New York Boulevard, near Dismal Swamp, in north Edison, was appraised at $845,000 by Stack, Coolhan and Stack, of Hackensack. It was purchased by the township Nov. 6, 2002, for $1,069,153.
•In South Edison, a 1.2-acre parcel at 906 Amboy Ave. was appraised at $185,000 on Oct. 25, 2002. It was purchased in June 2003 for $475,000.
Another piece of land totaling 8,120 square feet on Lowell Street in north Edison was purchased for $145,000 in November 2002. It was appraised for $45,000 in October 2001.
“That just shows what we knew all along,” Open Space Committee member Jane Tousman said.
“Open space is valuable, and prices of land just escalate,” she said. “That is why we felt the urgency to buy more now, before prices go up again.”
Some parcels were a waste of money because they could not be built on, Russomanno said.
A 8,049-square-foot lot combined with a 1.59-acre parcel, purchased in 2000, cost the township $117,500 each.
The final market value estimate was for $137,000 for both swaths. The area is zoned residential, according to the appraisal report.
“The slope on that property is so steep, you could never build a house on it,” Russomanno said. “You could go skiing on that slope without snow.”
Another 4.6-acre parcel, formerly owned by Jupiter Construction, Edison, was valued at $201,000 in 2001. The township purchase records show it was bought for $220,000.
The site is predominantly wetlands, according to the appraisal summary.
Resident Joseph Petrocelli, who has questioned township spending during the recent budget process, said officials should zone property differently, rather than taxing residents.
“The solution is simple,” he said. “Spend less elsewhere. Build up the surplus and use it for that instead of offsetting spending in other areas, like salaries and wages.
Township officials have control over zoning, he said.
“It seems to me that they just zone for development, then developers come in to develop, Petrocelli said. “Officials act like they are appalled, when they are the ones who sanctioned the zoning. And they buy back the property to look like saviors. The game is obvious.”
Residents want accountability, he said.
Tousman agreed that the township needs to have more “show and tell” when it comes to open space acquisitions.
The public deserves to know exactly what is on the wish list, what has been acquired, and what appraisal prices and purchase prices are, she said.
“That information does tend to be scant and not readily available,” Tousman said. “The Open Space Committee is only advisory, remember. We don’t control what ends up happening, we only recommend. Maybe if the information about purchases and wish lists were offered more openly, then people wouldn’t tend to be so skeptical.”