Bristol School Board Resolves Land Dispute

The Bristol Borough School Board resolved a controversial issue at their meeting which took place on Thursday night.

Following last Monday’s Borough Council meeting was a special meeting to discuss the fate of the land that has been at the center of a dispute between the two government bodies.

As part of the 2006 agreement signed the bodies involving the Grundy Foundation, the borough signed over the land where Snyder-Girotti Elementary School sits. In exchange, the school district granted a 20-year option to the borough for  four acres of land near the high school track.

The school board asked during the special meeting for land to be given back to the district from the four acres owed to the borough in order to build a green house. The council was generally against the idea, with councilman Greg Pezza noting full support of the idea.

Shortly after the board of supervisors meeting began on August 21, President Charles Gruff disclosed to the audience that an executive meeting was held prior to the board meeting where the land transfer meeting was discussed.

During his report, Groff said: “We need to work together, we can’t be adversarial,” in reference to working with the borough council on the issue.

The approval of the land transfer was voted on during the meeting and passed unanimously.

“Our intention was never to cost the tax payers money, we never intended to go to arbitration,” said Groff after the meeting. “I would have been surprised if they [the board] didn’t agree,” Groff noted.

Groff also voiced his expectations for the borough Council to follow through with Pezza’s words of support. “I hope they keep their word,” Groff said.