The Pennington landfill, which the borough owns, has been designated as an area in need of redevelopment.
Council members approved a resolution accepting the Planning Board’s recommendation to designate the Pennington landfill as a non-condemnation area in need of redevelopment on March 4.
In September 2023, the Planning Board went on to commission a study of the Pennington landfill later known as the Kyle McManus Report to determine if the former landfill property met the designation criteria.
The Planning Board approved its recommendation that the landfill property did meet the criteria following a public hearing in December 2023.
The landfill property consists of three parcels consisting of about 8.5 acres and is located between West Delaware Avenue and Broemel Place.
It sits in the B–H Highway Business District, which has uses that include retail business and personal service establishments.
Additionally, the property is part of the Route 31 Corridor Business Overlay Zone, which is intended to create a mixed-use environment, according to the McManus Report.
“The borough will not seek to condemn any privately-owned properties in
connection with any development of the study area,” the report stated.
In the summer of 2023, council members sought an area in need of redevelopment designation for the former landfill property.
James Kyle of KMA Associates, the borough planner at the time, said the designation gives the borough the ability to offer a potential redeveloper the option to come in and work with the borough on a redevelopment plan.
He explained that the area in need of redevelopment designation provides benefits and options such as a payment in lieu of taxes [PILOT] arraignment and allows engagement in a planning process.
“Again, this does not take anything off the table,” Council President Catherine Chandler had said. “As I have been saying since 2017, all options for that site are still available. The [designation] just gives us the control if we do decide to go with a developer. Again, that does not mean we will.”