MICHAEL ACKER South River officials are auctioning off the former Lincoln School site in South River. SOUTH RIVER – The borough will put the former Lincoln School up for auction.
The vacant school property at William and Prospect streets was previously included in the borough’s redevelopment plan, but that was scrapped earlier this year after residents voiced opposition to the redevelopment process. Some opponents of the plan criticized the inclusion of the Lincoln School, since the borough owns the building.
The Borough Council recently authorized its attorney place in the 1.5-acre school prop- erty building up for auction.
“Our hope is that it is sold and that the property is used wisely,” council President David Sliker said. “I [would] personally like to see a business or commercial property, because it will not add expenses to the borough.”
Sliker hopes to receive bids by Oct. 22.
“We want to get it out to auction as quickly as possible,” he said, noting that he would like to see a bidding war develop over the property in order to drive up the sale price.
Councilman Raymond Eppinger said any developer who buys the property would likely have to pay $100,000 to knock the building down. The school is in a residential zone, as the council never approved its designation as being in a redevelopment zone.
Eppinger said that discussions on the property currently involve the question of whether the borough should rescind a resolution that was approved last year indicating that the property is blighted. The governing body is looking into whether that will be necessary, he said.
“There is some belief that the area is still considered blighted,” Eppinger said.
Eppinger said he is curious to see the bids and the prices included. He said he is concerned that the buyer will not guarantee the redevelopment of the property for a retail/ commercial use, but will instead build residential because of the zoning.
“We will do what can to convince them and hope that they commercially develop it, but it is not zoned that way,” he said.
Eppinger wants to know what the municipality can do to ensure that the site is used for commercial purposes.
“Until those things are resolved, I’m not willing to say ‘Yeah, we’re going to sell it,’” he said.
Mayor Robert Szegeti, who recommended at a June council meeting that the property be put up for sale, said a report by a licensed appraiser indicates that the value of the property is $650,000.
Szegeti said borough officials are interested in changing the zone for the property, but have to do so carefully over time in order to avoid “spot zoning” the property, which can be considered illegal.
“We’d like to see a commercial property put up on the site in order to get commercial properties on the tax rolls,” Szegeti said. “Right now, it is zoned residential, but it can be changed to commercial.”
He said that officials would wait and see what happens with the bids before acting to change the zone.
“We have to do it right,” Szegeti said.