Development of Barone's Site Must Wait

The township has more remediation work to do at the Barone's Service Center site before it can do anything with the property. 

Cinnaminson purchased the vacant service center—located on the jughandle at Highland Avenue and Route 130—last year for about $355,000, using grant money left over from the Route 130 reconfiguration project. The building was demolished in January.

The township planned to grass over and landscape the site this spring. Aministrator Frank Locantore said the township is currently waiting on proposals for remediaton work. He's expecting about three quotes—all of which should come in well below the $17,500 bid threshold. 

When it purchased the property last year, the township held back about $50,000 in the event that further remediation was necessary, then-solicitor John Gillespie said back in November. 

The township has not specified its plans for the property, though past discussions among members of township committee have mentioned using it as a bus stop. (Township committee members recently voiced serious concerns about many of the bus stops along Route 130.)

Locantore hesitated to provide too much detail about possible plans for the site but said, "The township has a number of options ... Whatever we do with it, we're going to use it for the best interests of Cinnaminson."

He did say the township is not considering open space as a use for the site. 

Further north on 130, the long-vacant gas station at Willow Drive remains standing. Locantore said demolition was delayed while At Willow LLC, which owns the vacant former Mobil station, obtained the necessary permits and approvals, a process that took longer than expected. The property was slated to be demolished by the end of last month. 

Locantore spoke with the attorney for At Willow Wednesday and was told the attorney would reach out to get an update.