Township Moves Forward with Demolition Plans for Barone's

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.

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.

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