Schools

Three-Home Proposal Would Subdivide Tree Top Drive Property

Pennoni Associates sought the Board of Education's permission before approaching the township with the proposal.

A representative from Pennoni Associates Inc. asked the Springfield Board of Education's permission Monday night to present plans for a subdivision on Tree Top Drive to the township.

The proposal would see three 3,200-square-foot homes built on the property. The homes would share a common driveway. The Pennoni rep said that size home is standard for the neighborhood and while it would have been nice to do more with the property, due to the wetlands and nature of the surrounding area, this proposal maximizes the profit potential with the space available. 

After receiving the Board's approval, Pennoni Associates will speak with Township officials next week to see if they have any "problems or recommendations" and then have the request to subdivide the property filed by Thanksgiving.

Board member Jacqueline Shanes said the proposal would merely give approval to subdivide the land, it doesn't necessarily mean three homes will be built.

"It's in our continual effort to try and generate the largest amount of proceeds from the potential sale of the property, which was our agreement with the Township," Shanes said. "This is the next step in the process."

Proceeds from the sale would offset the $3.4 million bond the Township approved to move forward with the athletic complex at Jonathan Dayton High School. 

In March, Mayor David Amlen formed an ad hoc committee charged with putting together a timeline to find out why soil contaminents such as road and refrigerant remnants found at the nine acres of land near the intersection of Tree Top Drive and Skylark Road where not disclosed earlier, as the information could potentially impact the property's value. 

At the last meeting of the township committee, Committeeman Ziad Andrew Shehady asked Amlen if the ad hoc committee had uncovered any wrongdoing. The ad hoc committee had had difficulty finding times to meet, its members David Barnett and Margaret Bandrowski said.

During the meeting, Shehady said he believes the results of the investigation will be revealed around election time, a move he called "political gamesmanship." 


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