By Kristine Snodgrass, Staff Writer
MONTGOMERY — Somerset County freeholders will discuss the possibility of purchasing the Skillman Village property at their work session tonight, at the suggestion of a Montgomery Township Committee member.
Peter Palmer, director of the Somerset County Board of Chosen Freeholders, said Committeeman Mark Caliguire contacted him Monday morning about the idea of the county purchasing the 260-acre property. Mr. Palmer said he would bring the issue up for discussion tonight.
”We have a pretty aggressive program for buying open space in the county,” he said, citing the recent purchase of half of a 360-acre parcel in Hillsborough.
The township has received criticism as developers last month failed to submit proposals for the 40-acre, mixed-use portion of the Skillman Village property that was considered crucial to recoup some of the $20 million the township has spent redeveloping the property. Recently, the township has begun renewed talks with the developers.
Mr. Palmer, who said he has been following the issue, said the size of the plot makes it prime for an open space purchase by the county. If both sides decided to work together, the purchase could happen in three or four months, he said.
”It’s certainly something that’s doable and within our scope,” Mr. Palmer said.
Mr. Caliguire, the lone Republican on the Township Committee, said the township should consider the proposal in order to avoid the cost of carrying the debt from the project into the foreseeable future.
”In order to pay for it, we may have to do more development than anybody anticipated,” he said.
Public opinion will be dependent on the details of what could be worked out with the freeholders, but he said he anticipates people would prefer a park to higher taxes, he said.
”I think it would be a good thing to have a county park versus either a lot of debt or a lot of development,” Mr. Caliguire said.
Mayor Cecilia Birge said that the township would welcome further funding from the county, as it has always been the intention to bring in additional funding partners. However, she said the township should not give up on the village-within-a-park concept.
”To give up midway, and completely let go of the land, and let somebody else take charge I think is not a way to demonstrate leadership,” said Mayor Birge, who is a Democratic candidate for county freeholder in the upcoming election.
Residents want a “vibrant community center,” she said, which can happen only if the property is under local control.
”The community’s priority has always been turning that site not just into an open space parcel, but a park,” she said.
She will attend the freeholders’ meeting tonight, she said, and plans to ask questions about the county’s involvement and what that could mean for the future of the property.
Republican committee candidate Kacey Dyer, who released a statement Monday about the proposal, said selling the Skillman Village property to the county would eliminate a number of problems for the township, including strain on schools, traffic and affordable housing regulations as a result of high density development.
Ms. Dyer is running for the seat currently occupied by Democrat Mike Joye, who is not seeking re-election.
”I think it’s great because Montgomery is now in a position where we’re in $63 million of debt,” she said, citing data from Walter Shepard, chief financial officer for the township. The township currently pays $880,000 per year in interest on debt from Skillman Village, she added.
Although she doesn’t know how much the freeholders may pay for the property, the purchase would result in an “instant tax break” for residents, she said.
Democrat Keith Hovey, who is running for the same seat as Ms. Dyer, said the $63 million figure for the debt is “entirely misleading” because it does not take into account millions of dollars that the township is owed by the county.
Mayor Birge also said the figure is misleading, and includes unrelated debts and debts that the township fronted. The township prepared itself for various outcomes through financial planning, she said.
”Even though we didn’t know what was going to come our way, we already assumed the worst case and we prepared for the tough situation we are facing today,” she said.
Mr. Hovey, who said Monday he was unaware of the proposal before he was contacted by The Packet, said residents he has spoken to would not like to see this issue taken out of local control.
”I think there’s a problem with turning the property over in whole, unilaterally and without any discussion with the community,” Mr. Hovey said.
Making the entire property open space would mean the property would cost taxpayers money for upkeep without providing any revenue, he said.
”(Residents) already have an entirely different vision of what Skillman Village would be,” he said.
A debate between Mr. Hovey and Ms. Dyer is scheduled to be held 7 p.m. Monday night at Montgomery High School.

