SP Council Approves Shackamaxon Resolution

The Scotch Plains Mayor and Township Council took the first of many steps toward determining whether it can and should move the Municipal Building and other township properties from the downtown business district to . It voted at its monthly conference session Tuesday to direct the Planning Board to examine the viability of labeling the municipal properties and country club "areas in need of redevelopment," which would grant the township greater control over the type of development that occurs at the club. 

"It by no means has any binding legal requirement on Shackamaxon what we're doing tonight," Mayor Nancy Malool said. "It would not cost the taxpayers anything." 

Shackamaxon went on the market for sale in December. Members of the club's board of trustees could not be reached for comment. Rich Riffle, the club's general manager and an employee of Troon Golf, an Arizona-based management company hired in March 2010 by Shackamaxon's members to run the club, declined to comment. Two employees of the real estate company Cushman and Wakefield confirmed that the firm had been retained by Shackamaxon, but an employee who identified himself only as Kyle declined to comment further. 

At 146 acres, Shackamaxon is the township's largest parcel of land, Malool said. It is zoned R-1, which would allow a developer to construct between 95 and 100 one-acre single-family homes on the property without obtaining any variances. 

Designating Shackamaxon a property in need of redevelopment would accomplish two goals, Malool said: It would prevent the country club from becoming a giant housing complex, and it would lay the groundwork needed to relocate the Municipal Building and other township properties from prime retail space located on and around Park Avenue to the country club.

"It could do wonders to revitalize our downtown," Malool stated, adding that for the past 20 years, redevelopment planners have advised the township to relocate their municipal properties from the downtown district.

Council members William Vastine and Mary DePaola expressed strong support for the resolution. "Developing that property into 96 residences would not only overwhelm our school district, it would involve additional money being invested," Vastine said, pointing to school and service expansions that would be needed to accommodate an influx of residents.  

DePaola added, "If we can grow our business district, reinvigorate it, get it going again, it would increase our ratable" – thereby easing or stabilizing the tax burden on residents. 

Councilman Mickey Marcus was the lone vote against the resolution. He argued that voters had not had sufficient time to study the matter. "This matter came before the us rather abruptly," he said. "I understand why there is a need for some urgency here…. Whether the idea is right or wrong, I'm not ready to pass judgment on it." 

Councilman Kevin Glover, Marcus' running mate in the 2010 election, echoed Marcus' comments, stating that he wished he had been allowed more time to explore the resolution and redevelopment concept. Midway through the discussions, he supported a motion that Marcus introduced to table a vote on the resolution, but it was defeated 3-2. When it came time to vote on the actual resolution, Glover joined Malool, Vastine and DePaola in approving the measure. 

"I would like to have more time, and respect that it would be of value to the public to learn more, but I have to focus on the big picture," Glover said. "It's important for us to know more about the opportunity that lies ahead of us."

Malool concluded, "Should this all pan-out, no matter who Shackamaxon sells to, even if that person plans to keep the golf course, we would need to have the redevelopment because someday, someone's going to sell the land, and that zoning's not going to change."