Lawrence Township is moving ahead with the purchase of nearly 6 acres of land owned by Sheft Associates Inc. at 2420 Brunswick Pike, which is part of a larger 8.8-acre tract that holds Colonial Bowling and Entertainment and that borders Colonial Lake.
That was the message delivered to a handful of residents who attended the Township Council’s Sept. 28 meeting. The residents sought assurance that officials were not getting cold feet about the deal, which is worth $3.65 million.
“We are moving forward,” Municipal Attorney David Roskos said.
A contract has been issued and is under review by attorneys representing Sheft Associates.
Several residents attended the meeting to thank council members for agreeing to buy the land, effectively halting Sheft Associates’ proposal to build a 123-room extended stay hotel on the banks of Colonial Lake.
“I personally want to thank you guys for coming through. The neighborhood loves that lake as a treasure,” said Jim Hooker, Bunker Hill Avenue.
Residents also thanked the Sheft brothers, the principals of Sheft Associates, for realizing how important it is to the Colonial Lakelands neighborhood and for agreeing to sell the property instead of developing it.
Lawrence Township will buy 5.9 acres of the 8.8-acre property for $3.65 million. An initial payment of $2.65 million will be made this year. The remaining $1 million will be paid out over two years in increments of $500,000.
Funding will come from several sources, including the Lawrence Township Open Space Fund and grants from the Mercer County Open Space Assistance Program, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Green Acres program and the Lawrence Township Conservation Foundation. The citizens group Save Colonial Lake has pledged to raise money toward the purchase price.
The 5.9-acre lot will be added to the township-owned Colonial Lake Park. The bowling and entertainment center will continue to operate on the smaller parcel. The action will not affect Colonial Bowling and Entertainment’s business.
The agreement calls for the township to have the right of first refusal if Sheft Associates decides to sell the smaller lot that holds the entertainment center. That means the lot must be offered to the township before it is listed for sale.
The Colonial Bowling and Entertainment property was one of several properties recommended as potential properties for acquisition by Lawrence Township in the revised Open Space and Recreation Plan element of the Master Plan.
The proposal to build an extended-stay hotel drew opposition from neighbors in the Colonial Lakelands neighborhood, across Colonial Lake from the proposed hotel site, earlier this year.
The residents advocated for the township to buy the land and preserve it, pointing to the wildlife, including a bald eagle, that have made it their home.
