Bristol Township will make an offer to purchase five closed schools.
During Tuesday evening’s Bristol Township Council meeting, the township agreed to offer $1.75 million to purchase the John Fitch, Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, Maple Shade and Lafayette elementary school properties. The money would be paid directly from the township to the school district and, if approved, settlement could happen as soon as January, Council President Craig Bowen said.
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However, the township has yet to submit a formal letter of interest to the school district for the more than 60 acres of land that is zoned residential. Bowen said the formal bid could be submitted by Township Manager Bill McCauley as soon as Wednesday.
The school board, which is trying to off-load the five sites since they consolidated from nine elementary schools to three new ones, would still have to review the proposal, approve it and send the matter to Bucks County Common Pleas Court in Doylestown for a hearing. If the judge approves the sale, the township could move forward with purchasing the closed schools and surrounding land.
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Bowen said recent developments led to the township putting together a bid for the closed schools. He estimated that taking down the aging school buildings that need to be abated for toxins would likely cost the township another $1 million dollars.
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Previously, members of the school board said they had offered the school sites to the township and said they did not have interest.
The council president said there was a change of heart recently.
“We know land development,” Bowen said. He noted the school district’s job is to educate children and not sell schools.
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Aside from knocking the buildings down, Bowen said there was not a concrete plan for the properties if the sale goes through. He added the township has limited funds for recreation facilities.
The township’s offering price was the same as Bensalem-based Progressive Living Units and Systems of Pennsylvania Inc. (PLUS). That company offered to buy the shuttered John Fitch, Abraham Lincoln, George Washington and Lafayette elementary school properties. PLUS, which appears linked to a substance abuse treatment center, sent a letter to the school board late last month noting they were interested in building “age restricted housing or for uses related to the business of providing behavioral health services, both residential and non-residential, and including, without limitation, services to veterans, persons suffering from traumatic brain injuries and other handicapped persons as defined in the Fair Housing Act.”
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The school board on Monday evening rescinded acceptance of an offer to sell John Fitch, Abraham Lincoln and Lafayette elementary school sites to Renovah Construction Company for $770,000. The board did not vote to rescind the sale of Croydon’s Maple Shade Elementary School property to nonprofit Interfaith Housing Visions for $180,000. However, school board President Angela Nober said they were not moving forward with that agreement as of Monday.
District officials did state at Monday’s meeting that they have received numerous additional offers for the schools. The offers would be reviewed further and the process remained opened.
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Many vocal residents have been upset about the previous proposals for the school sites and have made their voices heard at school board and council meetings.
