Is Bristol Twp. Looking to Sell the Old School on Coates Avenue?

At the June Bristol Township council meeting, most of the focus for those  residents attending dealt directly with council’s leverage of the planned construction for the third and last school on the Bristol Township School District’s list.

Despite theories, which abounded plenty prior to the vote, the motion was passed and now school district officials can get on with the business of getting the rest of the paperwork in order for work on a new school in Croydon can begin Until then, skeptical residents might not ever believe … Buried and lost amid all the drama and proverbial throat punching by council aimed at school district officials was a three-pronged offer made to the district by council.

1. Council offered the School District the opportunity to broadcast three  board meetings from the township’s meeting space
2. Council would cut the permit fees related to the the new Mary Devine by 30 percent
3. In exchange for the above, council asked for the deed restriction, which the school district holds, to be removed from the property located at 800 Coates Avenue. The current deed restriction prevents the Coates Avenue property from being used for commercial purposes.

That last tidbit, unless you paid close attention, seems to have escaped the most ardent of residents following local politics since the nonprofit housed within that address was part of a local controversy of sorts during December and January when  an e-mail penned by Township Manager Bill McCauley was published by a media outlet in the area.

The focus of the email at the time was with nonprofits in the township receiving funding the municipality.

One of those cited in the e-mail is the Delaware Valley Vietnam Veterans, also known as DV3, which happens to be located at 800 Coates Avenue. McCauley, at a council meeting in January, apologized for his remarks in describing the nonprofit as “free loaders.” He did not apologize for any of the township funding cuts made to DV3 and other groups.

As Solicitor Randy Flager clearly cited, there are 69 reasons for the township to spend money and providing nonprofits isn’t one of them, he said.

He came as close as he could to indicating what was done in the past unethical at the very least by prior councils.

Late last week, Councilman Craig Bowen explained why the township wants deed restriction removed and if it happened to be a coincidence that DV3 resided at that address. Bowen in essence said the township purchased the building from the school district at the time. Since there was one faction in power on both council and the school board it was kind of  “sweat heart deal” for all involved he said, although, he continued, one factor seems to have been forgotten; The monies used to purchase the building was tax payer money. “Since the taxpayers paid for it, and we represent them, we want the restriction removed so in the future if an opportunity comes along to sell the property to a private owner or company we can,” he told LevittownNow.com.

“Why should we go to the school district to ask for permission to sell something the tax payers own,” he said. “That’s just absurd and makes no sense.”

Or is it? The building was purchased for $250,000 by the township in 2002 after being used as a school and later district administration building. The deed restriction came with the building and is not uncommon when school properties are sold to municipalities in Bucks County.

Bowen wanted the  public to know, repeating himself twice, that there are no plans in place as of the moment and nor did the twp have any “future plans for that property.”

Bowen earlier in the discussion did point out one important factor about the property attached to building at 800 Coates Avenue.

The land is flat, he said, so if a developer wanted to something with and on it, there would be little stopping work getting underway for instance due the flat surface, he said. For developers of any kind, the less the legal wrangling  with zoning and ordinances requests, the quicker a project start. Bowen finished off the conversation by saying: “we’re cash strapped and staring at $80 million of unfunded debt so if we can eliminate part of that debt, we’re going to. We think if we own the property, meaning the township, we should be able to do what we want with it.”

Bristol Township School Board President Angela Nober told LevittownNow.com recently that she was not sure of why the township wanted to remove the deed restriction but the board would be discussing it.

“One has to wonder when given the opportunity to save X dollars and broadcast meetings for free why a board of any kind wouldn’t take that,” Bowen said. “The truth is, they’ll do anything to keep those meetings under wraps and of course somehow that’ll be our fault too.”

DV3 President Jesse Hill said Sunday was he was  a bit “dumbfounded” by what was reported by the media after the last council meeting and went as far as calling a local reporter for clarification. Hill realizes his group of Veterans, for now doesn’t have to worry about a home but feels a bit picked on to say it mildly.

Since World War I, Hill said, “Veterans have been f**ked and I have  no idea why the township seems to have it out for us.”

The battle for the soul of Bristol Township continues…