Merrill-township emergency services agreement still intact

Merrill is trading township a $1.8 million “hut” to be used for emergency services in exchange for preserving 3 acres of land

By John Tredrea, Staff Writer
   Merrill Lynch is a thing of the past, having been consumed by financial giant, Bank of America.
   But Hopewell Township Mayor Vanessa Sandom said Friday that this major change in the world’s fiscal landscape will not have any effect on an agreement on emergency services that Merrill reached with the township several months ago.
   Under the agreement, Merrill is trading Hopewell Township a $1.8 million “hut” on its property, to be used by the township for emergency services, in exchange for preserving the 3 acres of land Merrill previously dedicated to Hopewell Township for a firehouse.
   Merrill Lynch originally gave the township a plot of land in 1998. It was to have been used for a firehouse. However, township voters rejected an October 2000 ballot question that related to the funding for the station and that plan died due to lack of voter support for a $900,000 referendum.
   The Merrill hut, which has been used to store lawnmowers and other equipment, is adjacent to the Capital Health Systems (CHS) property off Scotch Road. CHS, which is building a hospital near Southfields, is obligated to pay the township $500,000 for emergency services.
   This money, in addition to the $600,000 already collected from developers in the township, will fund improvements to the hut, which will be converted into an Emergency Services Building. The hut also will serve as an Emergency Management Operations Center when completed and also may provide additional meeting space for the township gatherings.
   The agreement between Merrill and the township states that no sirens, alarms, whistles or loud signals can be affixed to the hut unless they are being used for a communitywide threat or emergency.
   Emergency service personnel will move into the new building, Mayor Sandom said. Included are fire inspectors and emergency service operators, who are responsible for responding to catastrophic events.
   At the Sept. 22 Township Committee meeting, Paul Pogorzelski, administrator/engineer, said talks with Merrill on implementing the hut agreement are continuing.
   The Southfields office park is in the southern section of the township, north of I-95 and east of Scotch Road.