Topping the agenda at the October 7 Pennington Borough Council meeting: A town hall meeting on redevelopment possibilities, the PILOT appeal update, and positive results from the NJ State Best Practices Inventory.
Town Meeting On Redevelopment of Old Landfill Property
Council president Catherine Chandler encouraged residents to participate in a town hall meeting to discuss the potential redevelopment of the old landfill property on the north side of West Delaware Avenue and south side of Broemel Place, west of the railroad. The event takes place Wednesday, October 23, 7pm, via Zoom. An invitation posted on the Borough website encourages Pennington taxpayers to share their visions on the future or our community.
Mayor James Davy will introduce the redevelopment committee, recently formed to help ensure that plans are made in accordance with the local redevelopment and housing law. The committee includes Mayor Davy; Borough administrator GP Caminiti; planning board chair Jim Reilly and member Amy Kassler-Taub; Council president Catherine Chandler and member Nadine Stern; and Borough planner Jim Kyle.
In addition to the landfill property, the committee is working on the potential redevelopment of several other parcels including the Blackwell properties along Brookside and North Main Street, the property at the corner of Route 31 and Delaware Avenue (potential affordable housing), and 10 North Main Street (potential affordable housing redevelopment).
For instructions on joining the meeting, visit the Borough website, Town Hall Meeting page.
PILOT (Payment In Lieu Of Taxes) Appeal Update
Borough Attorney Walter Bliss announced that Pennington has made an appeal to the State Appellate Court over the Superior Court’s approval of the PILOT agreement between the developer of the Scotch Road housing community and Hopewell Township.
Bliss said, “It’s in the hands of the court,” and that no ruling date was given. For background, see Mayor Davy’s letter to taxpayers published before the Hopewell Valley Regional School District referendum vote this past September.
Best Practices Inventory
Chief Financial Officer Sandra Webb reported that Pennington scored well on the Best Practices Inventory, which is administered by the New Jersey’s Department of Community Affairs, Division of Local Government Services.
To ensure municipalities operate efficiently and in the interest of taxpayers, the inventory assesses the town’s operations in several categories including housing, technology, budgeting, the environment, ethics, personnel, shared services, redevelopment, and utilities.
A municipality that scores low (below 35 points) can lose state financial aid. Webb reported that Pennington scored above 42 points and will not lose any state funding.
PFAS Solutions
Borough Administrator GP Caminiti announced that he and Public Works Superintendent Rick Smith will visit the Haworth Veolia Water Treatment Facility this month to look at cost effective solutions for treating PFAS (Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) water contamination. For previous MercerMe coverage about Pennington Borough water quality, see this link: https://mercerme.com/pennington-borough-council-advances-great-western-bikeway-and-water-quality-initiatives/
Updates and Events
Halloween Events: Sergeant Novin Thomas invited kids and parents to costume up and join the Pennington Police Department’s Trunk or Treat event. It will be held on Saturday, October 19, 5-8pm at the Trenton Cyrus Lodge, 131 Burd Street. To register your vehicle, scan the QR code on the Borough website, Halloween event page.
President Catherine Chandler announced that the Borough is expecting kids to be trick-or-treating on Halloween night. There will be no street closures, but the police department will be present for public safety.
Arboretum volunteers wanted: Chandler announced progress on the Eileen M. Heinzel Memorial Arboretum. Residents are invited to help clear invasive species Saturdays, 9-11 am through October 25. To sign up, see the arboretum volunteer page on the Borough website.
Chief Police Douglas Pinelli acknowledged: Council passed a resolution accepting the retirement of Police Chief Douglas Pinelli, effective February 1, 2025.
The resolution states “Chief Pinelli has performed his duties at a level of dedication and service to the community second to none,” and acknowledges his service as Emergency Management Coordinator for the Borough.
“I want to thank Doug. I know how much Pennington means to him,” said Council member John Valenza. Other Council members heartily agreed.
Voter Safety: In the interest of providing a safe and smooth voting process, Caminiti said the police department will provide security at the polls, November 5.
Environmental Survey: Valenza said he hoped to see a good response to the survey that was offered to residents. The results will help the Environmental Commission shape the next public event (to be announced).
The next Borough Council meeting is scheduled for Monday, November 4, 7 pm.
Feature image from Preliminary Investigation for Pennington Borough https://www.penningtonboro.org/sites/g/files/vyhlif5426/f/uploads/preliminary_investigation_report_for_the_pennington_landill_9-15-2023_2_1.pdf
