Politics & Government

'Hedge Property' Sale Considered in Scotch Plains

The parcel could potentially house new downtown merchants.

Scotch Plains council discussed at its last meeting potentially selling a piece of property they refer to as the "Hedge Property" – a strip of township owned space fronting Park Avenue between the municipal building and Darby Road  that could eventually house new downtown merchants.

Acting Township Manager Bob LaCosta explained that a 2006 planning study highlighted this piece, from among other township owned spaces, as potentially valuable downtown real estate.

"It's one we can comfortably segregate from others in town and entertain seeing what its value is," said Mayor Kevin Glover at the meeting.

Find out what's happening in Scotch Plains-Fanwoodwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Glover told Patch that according to the planning study, the space could house either a 5,200-square-foot or two 2,600-square-foot sites, providing for space for larger merchants than the downtown's mostly 1,200- to 1,700-square-foot lots now afford.

"Quite frankly, if you map out the rest of the properties we own, they are little leftover pieces of property, some as little as 400 to 500 square feet that are not suitable for building on," Glover told Patch. "And none of those other properties are downtown. So what you have here is the only legitimate piece of real estate that has real marketing value to attract stores Scotch Plains would like to have and bring a ratable to the municipality. That's money we could put right in our coffers that we could use or save or invest in other things."

Find out what's happening in Scotch Plains-Fanwoodwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Some councilmembers had reservations about putting the property up for sale before investigating whether that should be the logical next step in the process.

Deputy Mayor Colleen Gialanella argued that the council should take a look at all township-owned parcels as a whole before making a move on one.

"Are we taking the land that we have and using it most efficiently?" she asked. "If we are getting into the business of selling land, let's make decisions that are logical because these decisions will have long-term consequences for this township as far as what this downtown looks like. Let me tell you, there's a lot of things I really wish I could buy downtown. Clothes that are not used would be one of them."

Gialanella added that they should also discuss with the planner if there’s a possible increase in value by increasing the amount of land that’s available for sale and including other township-owned parcels in the listing.

Councilman Bo Vastine agreed with Gialanella on developing a holistic plan and suggested checking in with the town planner first before acting on a plan that is seven years old. Vastine also proposed having the property assessed by a professional to determine its value rather than determining the value by putting it up for sale.

"Our professionals have already said it could be worth between $500,000 to maybe $700,000 to $750,000," said Glover. "Putting it up for sale is just a further step to explore what the possibilities are for a nominal amount of effort."

Glover also explained that the town wouldn't have to sell the property if the offers come in too low, but that putting it on the market was the only way to truly find out what someone might pay for it.

Councilman Mickey Marcus was concerned with how the sale would affect parking in the municipal lot, as it would include more than just the green space where the hedges are, but also a certain amount of adjacent spaces in the municipal lot.

Mayor Glover replied by saying that the building has more than enough parking for employees and visitors and is often misused for anyone needing to park downtown than for those visiting the building. He added that the plan suggests more parking could be created in the empty space next to the firehouse across the street or in a strip of property behind Darby Road.

After the discussion, councilmembers settled on discussing the property again with the town planner before moving forward with putting it up for sale.

What new stores would you like to see downtown? Tell us in the comments.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here