Town Topics
24 April, 1991 (~estimated)
Agreement Reached on Firehouse Construction
Township Committee has approved a formal agreement setting forth the arrangements between the two municipalities for the construction and maintenance of the new firehouse.
Although it will house a Borough fire company and is located in the Township, the firehouse will be jointly owned by both municipalities. The construction and maintenance will he shared on the.basis of ratables existing in 1969, with the Township paying 64 percent and the Borough paying 36 percent.
Under the agreement, the Borough will begin “immediately…using its best efforts to sell or lease the Chambers Street Firehouse,” home of Mercer Engine Co. No. 3 which will move into the new firehouse. Sale of the old firehouse is expected to pay a large part of the $1.6 million cost of constructing the new.
Within 30 days of the execution of the agreement by both Borough and Township, “but in no case later than May 30, 1991,” the Borough will adopt a resolution authorizing the sale, lease or lease-purchase of the Chambers Street Firehouse. The Borough agrees to institute “a continuing effort to advertise and market the property… using its best efforts to negotiate a contract which will result in a closing of title or executed lease or lease purchase agreement which will coincide with or precede the completion of the new firehouse.
Construction Underway
Construction is underway on the new firehouse in the parking lot next to the Township municipal offices in the Valley Road school building on Witherspoon Street. Completion is expected in December.
The agreement states that if the Borough and Township can-not agree on the method of disposition of the Chamber Street Firehouse by March 1, 1992, it shall be sold at public auction.
The difference between the proceeds of the sale or lease of the Chambers Street Firehouse and the total cost of construction of the new firehouse will be apportioned between the two municipalities on the same ratables basis as the construction and maintenance costs. If the proceeds exceed the construction costs, the excess will be placed in an interest-bearing account to finance future capital needs of the Fire Department.
Thirty days after the execution of the agreement, the Township will deed to the Borough one half interest in the land and improvements on the new firehouse site. If the Chambers Street Firehouse is not sold by March 1, 1992, the Borough will deed to the Town-ship at its request one half interest in the land and improvements occupying that site.
The agreement also says that the new firehouse will be occupied by the Borough Fire Department or a Princeton Fire Department, which may be created by the municipalities in the future.”