Front Page News

Boro’s Plan To Purchase Vacant Lots In
Town Draw Split Reaction From Residents

Sam Fran Scavuzzo

SWEDESBORO -- Swedesboro residents held a heated public hearing to determine what to do with what Republican Councilman Donald Dryden calls the “gap-toothed hole” in the middle of the borough’s downtown district.

The Swedesboro Borough Council voted 4-2 to acquire four plots of now vacant land to be used for municipal parking, following a public hearing that saw many prominent member of the town speak out.

Introduced by Democratic Mayor Thomas W. Fromm, the ordinance looked to put the wheels in motion to begin the acquisition of the property of the Victorian building that burned down in April 2007, and the surrounding vacant properties currently held by individuals.

As described in a letter from Fromm and a diagram at the meeting, the plots are located on King Highway between Bottos’ Italian Restaurant and the Swedes Inn. Despite public opinion otherwise, the plan does not include the Cheega Funeral Home.

Voting against the ordinance were Republican Councilmembers Salvatore “Sam” Cassella and Darelene Gage. For them and their corresponding constituents, there were two main areas of complaint.

One was the communication that went into the move. Cassella criticized the mayor for what he thought was an underhanded approach.

“I’m tired of being back-doored. I am not against the development, I’m against how this was handled. Every council member should have been involved in this,” Cassella said to cheers from supporters.

Gage concurred, adding that she was not given sufficient time to review the material or the resume of a solicitor hired by the Redevelopment Committee before introducing the ordinance at the previous meeting.

Fromm countered by saying he never received any calls or e-mails to discuss the matter, and that the resolution moved along as any other would.

At the March 3 meeting when Fromm initially introduced the ordinance, Casella and Gage requested more information and Casella moved to table the matter. The motion to table was voted down by the Council and Fromm and the ordinance was approved for a public hearing on March 17.

All three Republicans voted against the ordinance causing Fromm to break the 3-3 tie.

The second contention was raised by residents and local business owners.

Resident and part owner of Bottos’ Italian Restaurant Robert Botto, Jr., speaking on behalf of his part-owner brothers, stated that he was working to acquire the properties independently. In addition, he mentioned a similar proposal the Botto’s discussed with Fromm in June 2007 that would allow for municipal parking in a proposed expansion to his property that would be open to the public.

“My family has been in Swedesboro for a long time. We all know each other here, and we want to help the town out. We can do this without spending the tax payers’ money,” Botto said.

Fromm and project lawyer James Maley disagreed with Botto’s assertion that he would acquire all the properties. “One individual attempting to buy up all the property is fine, but often a town can’t wait for that to happen,” Maley said.

Fromm added that the Botto’s had owned an adjacent vacant property for 18 years without development until now.

Maley, who was involved with the expansion of Collingswood, explained the complex process of eminent domain after it was raised by several residents. Although Fromm did not completely take eminent domain off the table, he noted that the borough looked to avoid it occurring if at all possible.

Dryden also added that although the town has an eminent domain ban on occupied residential property, the plots in question would not be protected by that statute.

The Republican councilman was the only one of his party members to support the resolution. All three Democratic council members, David Flaherty, George Weeks and Diane Hale, approved the measure.

Dennis Cheega was another resident and local business owner with concerns about the project. Cheega, owner of the aforementioned funeral home, was worried patrons of his business would not have areas to park during a service, in addition to changes that may occur to his property.

Fromm attempted to assure Cheega saying that he did not think it would effect his business.

Swedes Inn owner Mark Beltz, on the other hand, supported the move.

“I’ve been here a long time, too, and it is essential we have a plan for the future,” Beltz said. “We have to position ourselves to benefit from all the growth in the area.”

The meeting saw a packed house as more than 45 people crammed into Borough Hall. People appeared to sit along lines of similar opinions as many residents in favor of the move, physically and ideologically, sat on the left and opponents sat on the right. Heated exchanges amid most participants described the events with a few people disgustedly exiting.

One resident, the eldest in attendance, remained calm. Lifetime resident John Nothdurft Sr. coolly addressed the crowd and spoke in favor of the proposal.

“I’ve lived here my whole life and seen (the borough) at some pretty bad times,” he said. “What has occurred the past four years is great. It is a pleasure to drive down and see everything now,” Nothdurft said to applause.

The properties, however, still have to be acquired by the borough. No building can begin until this occurs.

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EG Committee and BOE
Discuss Land Availability

by Beth S. Biermann

EAST GREENWICH – East Greenwich Superintendent Joseph Conroy and Board of Education President Theresa Lewis approached the township committee on March 11 regarding land the township owns that could prove useful to the school system.

There are currently two schools in East Greenwich. The Jeffrey Clark School is located on Quaker Road and houses kindergarten through second grade. Grades three through six attend the Samuel Mickle School at the intersection of Kings Highway and Quaker Road.

According to Conroy, student enrollment in grades kindergarten through six is growing at a rate of almost eight and a half percent per year. Conroy added that current enrollment in both schools combined is 827 students, compared to just 560 in the 2002-2003 school year.

Conroy stated that the township and school officials need to address the needs of the growing student body in terms of classroom space, sooner rather than later. He also expressed that the school system is seeking help and guidance from township officials as part of their planning and decision making process.

In 2006, the school system built 24 temporary construction classrooms. As of right now, two years later, 12 are already being used. This is an illustration, according to Conroy, of the continuing growth of the township and the resultant increase of students in the school system.

The township currently owns approximately seven acres of land located between the two schools. According to Mayor Fred Grant, the township’s debt owed on the land will be down to approximately $200,000 at the end of this year, as compared to the purchase price of approximately $740,000.

Should the school board have to buy land in order to build a new school building, Grant estimated that it could cost as much as $1,000,000, an expenditure that would be passed on to the taxpayers through a significant school tax hike. Even if the school system took over the remaining $200,000 debt, that would also result in an increase in the school tax, albeit a much lower amount compared to purchasing land outright.

Committeeman Peter Miskofsky expressed his reservations about “turning over land to the schools without reimbursement” to the township. He added that he would like the school to have this piece of property and, in fact, he felt it shouldn’t be used for anything else, but “the financial burden should be placed on the new owner”.

He concluded that in his opinion, if the school system mortgaged this property over 10 to 15 years or bonded it, the residents would see minimal to no increase in the school tax.

Grant countered with the fact that because the township’s debt on the land has been budgeted from the time of purchase, it isn’t currently “affecting the tax structure” and won’t do so in the future. He concluded that “the bottom line is that 100 percent of their (the school system’s) taxpayers are 100 percent of our taxpayers and they’re the same” and, therefore, having the township continue to pay the remaining debt would be the most beneficial option for East Greenwich residents.

Grant purported that before any decision could be made regarding transfer or sale of the land, the township committee would expect a commitment from the school board that they will conduct a feasibility study to determine if the land is suitable for constructing a new school building.

In return, given the fact that a feasibility study is an expensive endeavor, Lewis expressed a need for the committee to promise to make the land available if the study concludes that the land is suitable for school use.

Township Solicitor Timothy Chell acknowledged the need for the township and the school board to enter into a formal agreement before the school board would feel comfortable doing a feasibility study. He concluded the discussion by agreeing to work with the school board solicitor to draft such an agreement.

Chell stressed that it would not be a sale agreement but that it would “protect the township from any issues that you may have and vice versa”.

In other business, the committee authorized the municipal court to enter into an agreement with The Bank enabling the court to accept credit cards for payments. Miskofsky reported that the original cost to the township was to be a $4,000 fee in addition to leasing a credit card machine for $500 annually.

Miskofsky met with representatives from the Bank with the intention of requesting a discounted fee. The Bank agreed to provide the credit card services free of charge for a year, waiving the $4,000 fee. The township will still pay the $500 machine rental.

According to Miskofsky, taking credit cards for payment of court fees will result in an additional $20,000 in revenue per year.

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Woolwich Establishes PMC Steering Committee

by Beth S. Biermann

WOOLWICH – The Woolwich Township committee passed an ordinance establishing a PMC steering committee at their March 17 regular meeting.

The steering committee will act in an advisory capacity by determining the feasibility of renovating the former PMC Canning Company building, located on Locke Avenue.

The nine members of the committee will be appointed for annual terms by the township committee. All members will be Woolwich residents. Three will represent sports organizations, two will represent senior citizens, and four will be members at large from the general population.

The Township Committee’s Parks and Recreation liaison, currently Committeman Ted Otten, will serve as a non-voting member of the steering committee. Another non-voting member will be the Woolwich Township Park Director, a position currently held by Natalie Matthias.

The steering committee will meet monthly and submit quarterly reports detailing their recommendations regarding the best use of the building for the benefit of township residents.

The PMC building, formerly a tomato processing plant, was purchased by the township in May 2007 for $110,200. The township bought the facility with plans to use it for public and recreational purposes.

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S/W School Budget Calls For 36 & 42 Cent Tax Hike

By Karen E. Viereck and Beth Biermann

WOOLWICH TWP. – The following candidates are running for seats representing their school district in the upcoming April 15 School Board and Budget Election.

EAST GREENWICH

Three seats are open in this election with only two candidates filing for election. Filing is Maria Arredondo of Mickleton and incumbent Robert C. Harris of Mt. Royal.

Budget: $11,557,231, an increase of more than $570,000 over the 2007-2008 school year.

East Greenwich residents will see a 5.8 cent school tax increase if the school budget is approved. The average home assessed at approximately $160,000 will pay an additional $92.80 in school taxes.

According to Business Administrator Valerie Carmody, the biggest line item increase is “overall instructional related items”. The largest cuts include capital outlays and support for food service which will result in an increase in the price of school lunches for the 2008-2009 school year.

A second public question will ask voters to approve an additional $211,200 for the purchase of technology and an updated version of the language arts literacy curriculum.

KINGSWAY

The Kingsway School District will have seats open in both Swedesboro and Woolwich Township.

With one open seat on the board for Swedesboro, two candidates have filed for election, incumbent M. Carol Cole and newcomer Margo Bagby.

Filing for the two seats representing Woolwich are incumbents Keith Antonides and Mark Kehoe as well as Daniel Battisti, former president of the Swedesboro Woolwich School Board.

No seats are open in East Greenwich and South Harrison this year.

Budget: $31,302,790, an increase of $1,376,187. If approved, this budget would mean a tax decrease in East Greenwich, South Harrison and Woolwich Townships and an increase in Swedesboro.

East Greenwich property owners will see a decrease of 5.8 cents per $100 assessed property value. For the average township home of $162,254 this will mean a decrease of $94.11.

For the average assessed home of $207,000 in South Harrison this will mean a decrease of $237.95, or 11.5 cents per $100 assess value.

For Woolwich Township residents, this will mean a decrease of 3.9 cents per $100 assessed value or $71.47 for the year for the average assessed home of $183,249.

Swedesboro residents will see an increase of 1.5 cents per $100 assessed value or $13.73 for the average assessed home of $91,552.

The increase in this budget calls for an increase in teaching staff and instructional aids for the in-house special education students, increases in utilities, transportation, and out of district special education tuition costs.

There will be a separate $1 million bond referendum which will not have a tax impact in 2008. The referendum calls for the construction of an addition to the physical education facility and the renovation of the high school science labs.

LOGAN

Three seats are open on this school board with only two candidates filing, incumbents Mary Beth Barnes and Ann Otten.

Budget: $19,895,835, which is a 1.13 percent increase over last year. If approved, this will mean a tax increase of $63.85 for the average assessed home here.

The school district received less than a two percent increase in state aide this year but will be able to maintain all current programs with this budget. A total of $132,000 from this budget will be set aside in capital reserve for future capital or maintenance projects.

SOUTH HARRISON

Three seats are open for this elementary school board. Five candidates filing are incumbent Leann Azzari and newcomers Michael Brennan, Connie Sailey, Carole English, and Jeffrey Brown.

Budget: $5,042,595 which is an increase of $103,715 over last year’s budget. If approved, this would be an increase of $80.70 for the average assessed home of $207,000 in the township. The budget calls for the creation of a pre-school disable program, increases in art, computer, library and Spanish programs, and in increase in related services for special needs students.

SWEDESBORO/WOOLWICH

Four candidates have filed for the chance to fill three open seats on this school board. Filing are incumbents Daniel Battisti who is also running for a seat on the Kingsway board, John Luciani, and Susan Brown, along with newcomer Dorothea Iannacone.

Budget: $21,793,664 which is a 24.4 percent increase over last year’s budget.

If approved this would mean a large increase for both Swedesboro of 36.8 cents per $100 assessed value and 42.1 cents per $100 assessed value in Woolwich Township. This mean an increase of $ 336.91 per year for the averaged assessed home in Swedesboro of $91,552. For the average assessed home in Woolwich of $183,249 this will mean an increase of $771.48 per year.

Capped state aide and projected student enrollment were reasons given for the large increase.

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Logan Discusses Handling
Their Own Recycling Program

By Phil Dunn
LOGAN TWP. -- The Logan Township Council discussed the idea of handling the recycling collection on their own at the March 18 council meeting.

Deputy Mayor Lyman Barnes brought up the issue because the township is slated to lose money if it continues to collect with a contracted service. Switching to self performance collection would be beneficial in the long term, but it means the purchasing of trucks and the hiring of four new workers.

“It’s a big expenditure for the town but the return on it right now, which is relatively conservative, is an estimated saving of $1.7 million over the next seven years,” said Barnes.

Barnes originally hoped to set up a system similar to Woolwich Township where the community would be reimbursed for their collection of recycling. This type of service gives homeowners more incentive to recycle. The bid became too costly though.

In other business, when the meeting was brought to public discussion, Hancock Street residents expressed concerns about a neighbor.

“There is absolutely no common courtesy. They park everywhere, there are teenagers hanging around there 2 o’clock in the morning. It’s really bad when you feel like you can’t go outside your own home,” said one resident of Hancock Street.

Another resident mentioned the possibility of drugs being sold on the property. She admitted, though, that she had no proof other than cars consistently circling the house. Additional concerns involved chemical spots on the street from car repair waste and trash from the home flowing into the street.
Mayor Frank Minor understood the residents concerns, but felt that this was more of an issue to be handled by the police.

“The police are there quite often but they always seem to be chummy and chatty with them and I don’t know, whatever that means,” said a resident of Hancock Street.

Minor assured her that the Logan Township Police Department would take the steps to handle the situation and referred her to Captain David Keegan.“We need the eyes and ears out there. If we are not made aware of these things we can’t react to it,” said Minor

Other announcements were made by Councilman Art Smith who reminded those attending to spread the word about the Scholar Athlete Award. It is given each year to a Logan youth who is in fifth through eighth grade.
It was also mentioned that Beckett Road will be closed the morning of April 12 for the Little League Baseball Parade.

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