The following articles are from the local Bordentown Register news.  When I first read this article, my feeling was ok,  the Bordentown City knows what they are doing, they have the best interest of the city.  THAN the second article (letter to the editor) opened my eyes.  I also remember picnic tables and benches and having many, many wonderful memories of school picnics and community events behind Gilder Field, we truly need to protect our enviorment and open space here in Bordentown City. I plan on attending this meeting-do you? 

City hopes odd lot will attract bank By: Stephanie Prokop, Staff Writer 05/24/2007

Commerce Bank eyes parcel in Bordentown


    BORDENTOWN CITY- The city is planning to sell a small irregularly shaped parcel of land behind the Liberty Gas Station on Crosswicks Street that may attract Commerce Bank to open one of its branches on the corner.
    According to Mayor John Collom, the property is .6 acres and measures 100 feet by about 250 feet and will go up for sealed bids starting at a minimum of $800,000.
    The mayor said Commerce Bank representatives had approached the city commissioners about buying the parcel plus the land that the Liberty Gas Station currently owns to build a bank.
    Mayor Collom said the gas station owners have already agreed to sell their land, and that the Commerce Bank property would make use of both pieces of land for their property.
    The .6-acre parcel is occupied by the Bordentown City Water Utility, and is being used as a headquarters for equipment.
    The ordinance that would allow the sale was introduced May 14.
    Mayor Collom says that the if the land is sold, the city would more than likely build another water utility storage building down behind the fields at Gilder Park. He estimated that cost at about $400,000.

The City Commissioners are also looking at the possible ratable benefit that having a Commerce Bank chain at the corner of Route 130 and Crosswicks Street.
    The city would be gaining an estimated tax income of $42,000 to $47,000, said Mayor Collom.
    "The people of the city will not have to pay a cent for this, and that is a positive aspect," said Mayor Collom. "We are taking a piece of property in (Bordentown City) and putting it back on the market." Mayor Collom said that the building would also have a aesthetic appeal as well.
    "It would be a very nicely landscaped attractive building, and it would fit in within the general architecture of the city," he said, "And while the water utility building is not ugly, it is not necessarily attractive either," he added.
    The property cannot be sold directly to Commerce Bank (since the parcel is owned by the city) and must first be made available to the public.
    Since the parcel is so small and oddly shaped, the city commissioners said they are doubtful that anyone else will be looking to buy it.
    The next step would be for the ordinance to go through a second reading, which will take place on June 11.
    "After the ordinance is passed, we will at that point be able to then legally transact a sale," said Mayor Collom.

 

©PACKETONLINE News Classifieds Entertainment Business - Princeton and Central New Jersey 2007

 

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

 

Crosswicks Street property not ideal for bank

To the editor:
   Bordentown City is about to put a piece of property up for sale by auction, upon final approval of Ordinance 2007-08 at the June 11 City Commissioners meeting. This piece of property is on Crosswicks Street, in between the Gilder House and Liberty Gas Station and is currently used by the Bordentown City Water Utility.
   What instigated city officials to consider selling this land? A corporation is interested in buying the land and Liberty Gas Station, to redevelop the northwest corner of Routes 206/130 and Crosswicks Street, into a bank.
   I have concerns about putting a bank on this corner.
   Getting to this location from Route 528 West and Routes 206/130 North is confusing. I am worried about what will happen when people traveling North on Routes 206/130 try to get across the highway, to the ATM machine of their bank. To an out-of-towner, I imagine that this would be a pretty difficult maneuver. I am worried about this, because a confused driver is more likely to get into an accident.
   I am concerned about the potential negative impact that this may have on Bordentown City's downtown bank, currently Farmers and Mechanics Bank. Twenty-five years ago, there were two banks on Farnsworth Avenue in Bordentown City. Today we have one. In the future, will we have none?
   If the city sells this property, it will have to find a new location for the water utility. Currently the city is planning to build a new building for the water utility behind Gilder Field, on the southern ridge of Thorntown Creek. I am strongly opposed to relocating the water utility to this location. I consider this land to be parkland. I consider this land to be for public recreation and public use, not public works.
   Yes, I know that the city has other public works buildings at this location. Twenty-five years ago, they weren't there. Twenty-five years ago, there were picnic tables on the southern ridge of Thorntown Creek. I wish they were still there.
   Putting a building on the southern ridge of Thorntown Creek would be the environmental poster child of what not to do. Putting a building there will increase water runoff. If you would like to learn more about the negative impacts of water runoff, I recommend the following NJDEP website: http://www.nj.gov/dep/watershedmgt/basicinfo.htm .
   I hope that one of the following three things happens:
   1. The City Commissioners vote down Ordinance 2007-08 on June 11.
   2. The City Commissioners postpone the decision date for Ordinance 2007-08, allowing more time to research the potential impacts.
   3. If Ordinance 2007-08 does pass and Block 1404, Lot 22 is sold, the city uses some of the proceeds to purchase land for the Bordentown City Water Utility.
   If you are interested in attending the public hearing regarding this matter, go to the Bordentown City Commissioners Meeting on June 11, 2007, at 8 p.m. held on the second floor of City Hall, 324 Farnsworth Street.

   Anne Hernandez
Bordentown City