Township Moves Forward with Demolition Plans for Barone's
Cinnaminson will go out for bids next on the old gas station site.
Township committee members voted to move forward with the demolition of Barone’s, the former service station the township bought that sits on the corner of Route 130 and Highland Avenue.
The vote authorizes the township to go out for demolition bids to remove the empty building. Township solicitor John Gillespie will put together specifications.
Earlier this year, township committee members voted to approve the acquisition of the vacant service center using monies from the Route 130 reconfiguration project. That money is earmarked for Route 130 improvements only.
The township purchased the land for about $355,000 but held back about $50,000 in the event of any further contamination work, Gillespie said at the Nov. 19 township committee meeting.
Gas tanks there were removed about 15 years ago—the last time there was a station there. Township committee members have said it’s environmentally clean but the money is still put aside just in case.
“We should end up with a whole lot less than $355,000 spent,” Gillespie added.
Gillespie suggested the township go into the building to see if there is anything left to salvage, although Committeeman Ben Young said the car lifts were removed some time ago.
The plan for the lot would be to knock down the building and grass over the lot. This would also provide a safe bus stop there.
The only potential buyer the lot had since Barone’s closed last year was from Goodwill, whose officials expressed an interest in putting a clothing donation box there, Deputy Mayor Anthony Minniti said.
That sort of use is not permitted along the Route 130 business corridor without a variance from the township’s zoning board.
Stay with Patch as we bring you exclusive updates to this story.
spete
7:20 am on Friday, November 23, 2012
This is great news for Cinnaminson. Our own grassy knoll on Highland Avenue! Great job township committee!!
FbS
9:55 am on Friday, November 23, 2012
Yes it is.. No matter how much the small amount of complainers say otherwise, the committee does a fine job.
PJT
10:06 am on Friday, November 23, 2012
Great news, good work; certainly a step in the right direction once the job is done.
John
1:24 pm on Friday, November 23, 2012
Our tax dollars at work....how many other sites are on the buying list....Lets put trees there so we can look at the leaves fall....good job...
Silvia
2:06 pm on Friday, November 23, 2012
you're soooo right John. Let's leave it as is since it looks so nice, or even better let's make it a goodwill drop off location. That would be great for Cinnaminson now wouldn't it. Give us a break! This is a good move. I hope they do it for the gas station behind Bo's Wok too. Ugly empty spaces that don't sell reflect poorly on our nice little town.
hsmith8185@gmail.com
5:11 pm on Friday, November 23, 2012
This was done primarly for safety reasons so the bus can get into a safe zone much like Cinnaminson Ave. We have had numeous accidents and several fatalities here over the years, most were patrons getting on an off the bus. One individual was launched over 200 feet, police and fire had a tough time finding him, we was on the other side of the road in the grass. Great Job Committee, you may have saved some lives on Rt 130!
Mark
7:13 pm on Friday, November 23, 2012
I agree Harry. Although I don't always agree with committee. They did right with this purchase. The old Mobil at Willow drive and Bos Wok should come down next.
noyb
7:38 pm on Friday, November 23, 2012
I like the purchase and what they are doing with the property I only wish they didnt pay so much. I Just cant see how my home and property and so worthless but the vacant, crumbling, mess of a property laying dead on Rt 130 is worth so much. I gotta believe if they were the only organization to express any intrest in it over the course of several years that its a worthless piece of property. I feel they paid about 50% too much. Otherwise I do agree with everything that they are doing and look forward to seeing the jughandle cleaned up and grassed over.
John
2:33 pm on Saturday, November 24, 2012
Oh boy, I guess your not in with the new math, assessed values of our homes are about 35000 over market value so our tax dollars are doing a great job with buying up
property that has been vacant for how long....who's greedy hands got something out of this??????
Ross Chatham
9:14 am on Saturday, November 24, 2012
How bout we eliminate the bus stops and keep the trash out of the town?
Tom Turkey
10:07 am on Saturday, November 24, 2012
I hear you Ross! I am upset as well that they purchased a piece of land for $355K but homes around here are selling in the $200K! Hello, anyone else see a problem here? I think it is absolutely insane. This of course is my opinion but I know of several (more than you can count) that disagree with this purchase as well. What are we to do we elected these fiscal conservations...what a JOKE!!
Bill Pozniak
10:26 am on Saturday, November 24, 2012
I have no issue with the purchase but I sure hope they did their homework on this one. If ground contamination is discovered, the cost of clean up could well exceed 55 grand.
And as far as that Cinnaminson ave bus stop is concerned. I believe it's more dagerous now than it was in the past. Looks like a darn lane of the hi-way. Some out of towner is gonna cause a huge accident there some day.
FbS
11:58 am on Saturday, November 24, 2012
Would you guys would have rather have a Goodwill used clothes drop off depot there? Thats what would have been there if the township did not step up and purchase that property. fact.
ESP
12:27 pm on Saturday, November 24, 2012
So this is the price for abandon property ? Hell, I'll leave my home now if they are willing to pay that same price since we all know the property values are going in the toilet here !!
Ric
10:32 am on Monday, November 26, 2012
Times sure have changed. There was a time not so long ago that the concept of an abandoned home property was unknown in Cinnaminson. What brought about this change?
Silvia
10:45 am on Monday, November 26, 2012
Uh, the economy, the crash of the housing market, people refinancing when home values were maxed and now are upside down, the rising cost and risk of opening a small business, the rising cost of health care, fuel, food, college, taxes, etc all while nobody is getting a raise to stay with the cost of living. People are hurting Eric and that is reflected in what you see. Cinnaminson is no different than anywhere else. This isn’t just a Cinnaminson problem, it’s a national problem.
Ric
1:26 pm on Monday, November 26, 2012
Sylvia all you said is correct but out of all the towns in this county, according to the Inquirer, ONLY WILLINGBORO HOMES HAVE LOST MORE VALUE IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS THAN CINNAMINSON. There is something else adversely going on more so in this town than every other town excluding Willingboro. Abandoned houses are not just the only new phenomenon for our fair town.
John
3:02 pm on Tuesday, December 4, 2012
High Taxes, over assessed houses and scorfflaws for brush pick up and summons for not doing it right.....now we are told our schools need to be rebuilt, and the fire dept. need new trucks....just great where does it end....this is a money pit.....it will never end.
unless the comments section is closed....
FbS
1:00 pm on Saturday, November 24, 2012
commercial property on a major 4 lane roadway.. remember that. Whole different ball game then your residential prop. The actual market value of this property is $411,400
John
2:35 pm on Saturday, November 24, 2012
This from the guy who buys gas at sunoco.....
noyb
3:41 pm on Sunday, November 25, 2012
market value is what someone is willing to pay not what some website or calculator says its worth. My house is only worth 250k even if I ask 750k for it. If I ask 750k it will sit there forever never to be bought. Frank I agree the commercial market is very different from the residential one here in C-town. But when you are the only one to express intrest in an abandond property in 5+ years you should be able to get it for a good price. IMO, 355k for a limited access jug handle property is not a good value. But maybe I am worng becuase they were obviously willing to pay it. There are others around I only hope we dont set a standard for abandon properties. The onle behind Riggins has been sitting for a few year as well now, what do you feel that one is worth? It needs to be grassed over as well but I dont want to put out a few hundred grand to do it.
FbS
6:38 pm on Saturday, November 24, 2012
whats that got to do with it?
FbS
4:03 pm on Sunday, November 25, 2012
nioyb- do you understand that when a market value is HIGHER then asking/selling prices that its a great value? Thats the case here. The sale price was was $61k LESS then what its worth. A win.. The other way around in your example is a loss
Bill Pozniak
5:20 pm on Sunday, November 25, 2012
@ Frank~ Market value is determined by supply and demand. The property value is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it. What you are talking about is theoretcal market value. Im sure if the owners of the property could have sold it for $61k higher than the township offered, they would have.
I personally havn't done any research on this particular property, so I can't tell you what the actual market value at the present moment is. Maybe it's higher, or maybe it's lower? Maybe it was a great deal, or maybe it wasn't? But as a trader for 23 years I can tell you for sure, that you can buy all day long well below theoretical value and lose your shirt!
Bill Pozniak
5:22 pm on Sunday, November 25, 2012
It's not a WIN till you can cash it IN!
FbS
6:04 pm on Sunday, November 25, 2012
Its a win when you have a nice green area instead of a Goodwill used clothes drop off depot
ESP
9:02 pm on Sunday, November 25, 2012
Frank, have you seen how the Township takes care of their land around here ? I seriously doubt you'll see green after the first year ! The reality is the Township paid $355k for GRASS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
FbS
7:27 am on Monday, November 26, 2012
Again. Which is better then a Goodwill used clothes drop off depot!!!
MJOB
9:52 am on Monday, November 26, 2012
Oh, there have been several accidents and several fatalities? While they're busy taking that structure down for safety, why not close up the Rt. 130 entrance to Friendly's. They already have the Highland Ave. entrance off the jug handle. I can't count how many times that traffic goes into panic stop mode when someone slows up to pull off and get ice cream. I'm just sayin.....
Silvia
11:09 am on Monday, November 26, 2012
Are people still complaining about the price? Look, I’m not an economist but I do know that in a sluggish economy with housing and commercial real estate prices plummeting, it is a good time to buy if you are in a position to buy. It’s a buyer’s market right now, not a seller’s so you can get good deals. I bet that property would have been asking over $500,000 five years ago. Personally, I think the seller lost his shirt on this deal at the price the township paid because that is what is happening to sellers everywhere.
FbS
11:22 am on Monday, November 26, 2012
You are 100% correct Silvia..