MOUNT OLIVE (12/01/06) – Disappointed but not discouraged was Mayor David Scapicchio’s response when he learned that the Morris County Board of Freeholders had rejected a township request for $5 million toward the purchase of the 160 acre Toll Bros. tract off Gold Mind Road from the Morris County Preservation Trust Fund.

"There’s always next year," he said, indicating the township would submit another request next year when negotiations with the developer are further along.

The good news was that the township did receive $700,000 to purchase vacant land along Flanders-Drakestown Road.

Scapicchio said there still is a wide gap concerning the value of the Toll Brothers tract…from as low as $20 million to as high as $100 million. Funds from the Preservation Trust Fund would be used as leverage for more grants from other state and federal sources.

Township officials’ concerns are that if completed the development as proposed could see another 418 homes being built on the site which would require the construction of another elementary school….that could cost at least $40 million, Scapicchio said. The infrastructure for the first phase of the project, calling for 276 homes, is currently under construction.

However, there’s lots of negotiating still to be done before we reapply, he said.

Kathy Murphy, the township grant coordinator, confirmed that the township could and will reapply for funds to buy all or part of the Toll Brothers site next year. It’s an attractive site, she said, and we really aren’t that far into the process. We have time for applying in the next round.

Another serious consideration, she said, is the township’s Council on Affordable Housing (COAH) obligations. She estimated that full development of the site could mean a need for as many as 50 moderate income housing units to satisfy state affordable housing requirements. That state requirement was not in effect in the mid 1980’s when Toll Brothers received approval for construction. There then would be a question about who would be responsible for the COAH housing, she said.

Construction has been delayed for a variety of economy reasons as well as unsuccessful law suits filed by the township.