Solebury Supervisors to Consider Agreement of Sale for Rte. 202 Properties on Aug. 18

At its meeting on July 21, the Solebury Township Board of Supervisors announced its approval of a letter of intent to acquire two properties along Route 202 in the Traditional Neighborhood Commercial (TNC) zoning district, along with an easement on an adjacent property. The total purchase price of the proposed transaction would be $2.35 million.

The Board stated that its purposes in acquiring the “flea market property” (Tax Map Parcel #41-022-135-001; approximately 11.5 acres) and the property on the southeast corner of Route 202 and Reeder Road (Tax Map Parcel #41-022-137; approximately 1.1 acres), along with obtaining the easement were:

Protection of the Aquetong Creek;

Protection of the water supply along the TNC;

Maintaining the free flow of traffic on Route 202;

Control of the intersection at Route 202 and Reeder Road to potentially make it safer; and

Expanding the Township’s network of trails.

These goals are consistent with Solebury Township’s Comprehensive Plan, the stated objectives of the TNC, and the many resident comments received at last year’s meetings on the future of the Route 202 corridor. And while this transaction is being proposed in these uncertain times, it would be accomplished at a price that is substantially below appraised value and through use of open space funds recently borrowed at just over 1 percent interest. Use of open space funds also guarantees that the properties in question cannot be used in the future for purposes other than those specified in the open space referendum of November 2019.

The bottom line: acquisition of these properties would give the Township a higher level of control over factors that are core concepts of the TNC and the Comprehensive Plan.

As mentioned at the July 21 meeting, the Board of Supervisors will consider approving the agreement of sale for these properties at its “Zoom” meeting the evening of August 18. The Board of Supervisors has been requesting that residents who have comments about this proposed transaction email them https://www.soleburytwp.org/ (and/or attend the Zoom meeting on August 18.

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