SPOTSWOOD — Borough officials have signed a lease that will allow the town to improve an area considered its gateway.
The small pocket of land is on Main Street near Spotswood’s border with East Brunswick.
Councilwoman Marge Drozd said the borough has approved a lease with Conrail, which owns the land, and was just awaiting that company’s signature of approval. With the lease, officials can fulfill their goal of cleaning up the property, which they had hoped Conrail would allow them to do for free. The company would not grant permission, and instead offered a leasing opportunity to the tune of more than $1,000 per year. After borough officials balked at the figure, Conrail reduced the cost to $600.
Drozd said the borough is developing specific plans for the land, which they have described as an eyesore, having not been kept up and having become a common location for trucks to be parked. She said the borough may construct a barrier to keep people from parking there.
Since the area has been used as a parking lot, the ground has been exposed to grease and oil, she said.
“We need to smooth it out and clean it up, which we can’t do when people park there,” she said.
If a barrier is not built, the borough could simply ticket vehicles parked at the site, she said.
Part of the reason for leasing the land is to give police the ability to issue summonses to anyone who parks there.
“We could declare it ‘no parking’ and ticket them,” she said.
Officials have expressed frustration with Conrail over its refusal to improve the area or let the borough do so. At one point, council President Curtis Stollen said he would not pay Conrail for use of the property, but officials realized the only way to get control of the property was to lease it.
Stollen has said he really wants to see the land improved because it serves as an entranceway to the borough for people coming from the area of Route 18.
The borough will issue correspondence to the truckers who use the site, telling them to stop parking there.
“They need to find alterative parking,” Drozd said.
As many as 11 vehicles have been seen parking there at the same time, she said, and it may be difficult for them to find another place to park their vehicles.
The borough has been in contact with local Girl Scout and Boy Scout leaders, who have offered to clean the site, Drozd said. Officials will consider adding some shrubbery and other landscaping, as well as a “Welcome to Spotswood” sign.

