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HILLSBOROUGH: Sold! Township, county close on depot

By Audrey Levine, Staff Writer
   After five years of planning and approvals, Mayor Frank DelCore and Somerset County Freeholder Director Rick Fontana signed the joint management agreement for the 369-acre General Services Administration Belle Mead Depot on Monday, effectively securing the joint control between the township and county.
   The closing documents to transfer the property from the federal government’s ownership to the Somerset County Improvement Authority (SCIA) were part of the approval.
   ”This is a great day for Hillsborough residents,” Mayor DelCore said in a press release. “Not only have 369 acres been preserved from housing development, but the future is bright for the creation of an outstanding parks and recreation area for our citizens.”
   According to Township Clerk Kevin Davis, the township is planning to put a sign up at the property to say that the depot is now being jointly managed by the township and county.
   The SCIA is currently the owner of the property, as the township approved a resolution March 24 to assign the option of purchase to it. According to the resolution, the SCIA will front the entire $15.735 million for the purchase, all of which will be placed into escrow accounts for the cleanup.
   The township will pay back its share of the purchase once the land has been subdivided for parks and recreation, and research and development.
   Mr. Davis said handling the purchase in this way allows the township to have flexibility while working with engineers to secure the subdivision and determine how much land will be used as open space.
   Once the subdivision is complete, and plans are ready for the cleanup, the title will be transferred to the township and county, Mr. Davis said.
   The next step in the process, Mr. Davis said, is to create a remedial action work plan for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP). This process, he said, will take about six months to complete.
   In the management agreement, a six-member Administrative Committee was created, with three members appointed by the freeholders and three by the Township Committee.
   This new committee will administer the cleanup and development of the property.
   The current plan is to use 321 acres for parks and recreation, and the remaining 48 acres for research and development.
   An original agreement to move forward with the purchase of the depot from the federal government, in cooperation with the county, was approved in September 2005, Mr. Davis said.