By Amy Batista, Special Writer
FLORENCE — The township plans to purchase a house and surrounding property for preservation as open space.
"It’s just a beautiful piece of property that has potential for us for open space, including pathway connectivity between three other residential subdivisions and developments in town out that way," said Assistant Township Administrator Thomas Sahol. "The other nice thing is the building is being used for volunteer programs like the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts."
The property, at 1042 Potts Mill Road, was purchased from the estate of Carl Friday and was commonly referred to as the "Friday property." The property has been vacant about two years, he said, since Ms. Friday passed away.
The purchase price is $235,000, according to the township ordinance, which was introduced on first reading at the council’s Oct. 1 meeting. The money will come from open space funds, according to Township Administrator Richard Brook.
At the Oct. 1 meeting, resident John Smith questioned what the "intent" was for purchasing the property.
"It’s part of our Open Space program," said Mayor Craig Wilkie. "Currently we are discussing with the Girl Scout and Boy Scout programs for them to utilize the house that sits there and to maintain the area and preserve that area of the community."
The mayor said that is the one section of the community that "doesn’t have an open space."
"This was a nice little piece to tie in that area and it also ties all three developments together because it reaches all the way across the creek," he said.
The public hearing and adoption of the ordinance has been scheduled for Oct. 15.

