By: centraljersey.com
BORDENTOWN TOWNSHIP – The prospect of having a discount food store at the gateway to the township has the exasperated some members of the Township Committee.
The problem they face, however, is that they may not be able to prevent it. A plan to create strict regulations to develop a town center has been 10 years in the making and still is not implemented.
The dilemma arose at Monday’s committee meeting over a company’s attempted purchase of a lot at the edge of Bordentown Township. The company in question, Bottom Dollar Food, is a discount grocery store based in North Carolina with branches in Maryland and Virginia.
"I’m so angry at Bottom Dollar I could spit," said Committeeman Bill Morelli.
Bottom Dollar Food has already begun the process of purchasing the vacant lot on the corner of Farnsworth Avenue and Route 130 South, the "old Acme site."
Mr. Morelli said at the discount grocery chain is trying to circumvent the system, citing several applications that have been submitted before representatives from Bottom Dollar Food have even met with the Township Committee.
According to Mr. Morelli, the company was "too busy" to accept his invitation to attend Monday’s meeting.
"Without having come either to this committee or before the planning or zoning boards, they have already been to the county Board of Health without even having a plan. It amazes me that the county Board of Health would even (allow them to) do that."
Mr. Morelli, who called the old Acme site "the gateway to Bordentown," went on to site demographic information that showed Bottom Dollar Food’s current stores are located in lower income areas.
According to his findings, the median household income in areas where Bottom Dollar has stores is approximately $52,000 per year, which is almost $20,000 lower than Bordentown Township’s median income.
In anticipation of a possible backlash about a racial slant to these demographic figures, Mr. Morelli described most of Bottom Dollar’s clientele as "poor, white folks." He added later that, "Bottom Dollar is like the Goodwill of grocery stores."
"I understand what Committeeman Morelli is saying," said Committeeman Jason Medina. "What I can’t agree with is that my position with respect to Bottom Dollar should be solely influenced by demographic figures."
Mr. Medina also stated that Mr. Morelli’s hesitance to approve of Bottom Dollar Food’s purchase of the lot stemmed from an expectation that the entire committee had for the location.
Mr. Medina said Bottom Dollar Food should be held to "the standard that (the committee has) envisioned for our town center." Ultimately, though, he said he isn’t sure what recourse the committee has in preventing the sale.
"If (Bottom Dollar Food crosses) their ‘t’s and dots their ‘i’s, how do we deny them the right to set up shop at the old Acme site?"
Still, Committeeman Morelli has other issues in regards to the timing of the sale.
"Before any decision is made about the Acme lot," he said, "we need to adopt a town center plan."
Committeeman Mike Dauber agreed with Mr. Morelli’s desire to write a town center plan, but admits the township has been too slow in preparing one.
"The Town Center Redevelopment Plan has been in talks for 10 years and only this year are we getting around to putting this plan together so we can control the type of development that happens in the town center. The township’s had 10 years to adopt this plan and we’ve failed to do so."
A meeting between Bottom Dollar’s representatives and the Redevelopment Subcommittee had been scheduled for today, Thursday, but Mr. Morelli said it is just another instance of Bottom Dollar Food doing things in an improper order.
"If that meeting takes place before they meet with us," Mr. Morelli said, "I will be livid. It looks like to me that they’re doing some kind of ‘end around’ us. They want to get all their approvals in place so that they can then come to us and claim some sort of hardship if we don’t approve them."
Dino Spadaccini, the lawyer who represents the lot’s owner, said his client does not currently have a lease with Bottom Dollar Food and does not feel their approach to the purchase of the lot has been done to intentionally circumvent the system. Mr. Spadaccini also asked that the subcommittee meeting scheduled for today, Thursday, not be postponed.
Deputy Mayor Anita DiMattia, who ran the committee meeting in place of the absent Mayor Bruce Hill, confirmed that today’s subcommittee meeting would take place, and all the information from this meeting will be made available to the entire committee.
Ms. DiMattia, Committeement Michael Dauber and Community Development Director Barbara Allen-Woolley-Dillon serve on the subcommittee.

