Cinnaminson’s Lt. Willie Mines, who died this week, was also acknowledged at the Nov. 20 council meeting
Cinnaminson Township’s redevelopment plans for a piece of property on Route 130 were at the forefront of the Nov. 20 council meeting, where township committee members discussed the demolition of the now-defunct Garden State Inn for future commercial use of the site.
The township committee was said to be in the process of selling the property to German grocery chain Lidl at the time of the Inn’s closing in January, according to reports. Deputy Mayor William Young said the committee has no reason to believe Lidl will back out of its agreement with the township, but the Inn must be demolished by the current owners before Cinnaminson takes title to the property.
The committee motioned to authorize an addendum to the sale agreement with sellers R&M Brothers, LLC, with a reimbursement cap for the demolition set at $200,000. The closing date for the sale is not to extend beyond Dec. 30.
Committeeman John McCarthy said while there is an agreement of sale with Lidl, it is only for a portion of the property, not the entirety of what is currently the Garden State Inn.
“The committee has always known and always agreed that there is a public benefit to buying the Garden State Inn and having it demolished. The township will keep part of it, and is in discussion with other parties to redevelop the balance of it along with some other properties,” McCarthy added. “There are a lot of balls up in the air, but we do have an agreement of sale to convey that portion of the property to Lidl.”
In other news:
• Young addressed the Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance for Cinnaminson residents, noting that its adoption is a necessary evil of sorts. The FEMA-mandated ordinance adds more homes to the flood zone, which Young said is attuned to create more losses.
“We have serious reservations about it because it has the ability to impact you, should you have a small loss, and affect your ability to rebuild,” Young said. “However, we have been advised by counsel that we have no choice but to pass this ordinance because if we have a true loss, we get no FEMA reimbursement or support [without the adoption of the ordinance].”
• Young emphasized the change in the leaf pickup schedule, which the deputy mayor said is a recurrent issue for some residents. He reminded residents that mixed piles of leaves and brush will not be collected and warned of violation notices from public works for residents who neglect to follow the published schedule on the public works page of cinnaminsonnj.org.
“Please don’t get angry with the staff, who are just following the laws and rules set forth by the sewer water management regulations,” he said.
•Cinnaminson Police Department’s Lt. William Mines died earlier this week. The council member honored his memory with a moment of silence and an exchange of fond memories.
“Willie was just one of those figures. He’ll be sorely missed by me and anyone who has every come in contact with him. It’s a big loss,” McCarthy said.
