Bristol Township Council voted to withdraw its offer to purchase five closed elementary schools.
The vote from the Council came last Thursday at their monthly meeting and in a letter from township solicitor Randy Flager that was sent to the district Tuesday.
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As LevittownNow.com first reported last year, the township put forward a $1.75 million offer to purchase the John Fitch, Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, Maple Shade, and Lafayette elementary schools. The buildings shuttered more than a year ago but basic maintenance and security continue at the sites.
As of mid-February, the offer still stood, Council President Craig Bowen said at the time.
The district has said they have been reviewing offers that have been submitted and were still seeking bids as of late winter.
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The township did not outline their exact plans for the schools and have previously stated they did not have the funds to build recreational sites on the properties that sit in neighborhoods.
An attorney representing the township said at last week’s Council meeting that the school district did not respond to the offer recently and that led to Township Manager Bill McCauley requesting the offer be withdrawn.
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“The Township cannot purchase the properties and then sell them. School Code indicates if this happens, the properties would revert back to the School District,” School Board President Angela Nober commented on the action.
Bristol Township School District solicitor David Truelove pointed out in February that if the schools were sold to the township, state law dictates that ownership would revert to the school district if they were no longer used or wanted by the municipality. According to state law, the “lands and buildings will revert to the school district if they are no longer being used for municipal or authority purposes.”
The closed school buildings have fallen into disrepair and the new owners will likely have to tear them down. Each building needs to be abated of toxins for renovation or redevelopment work to be completed.
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In addition to the township, the district has received offers from a developer looking to build senior housing, a nonprofit aiming to open low-incoming housing, and a company with plans for age-restricted housing or facilities for people with traumatic brain injuries and other disabilities. A few other offers have been received but school district officials have not released their details.
LevittownNow.com filed a Right To Know request for the additional offers and related information last month, but the district said they needed more time to have their legal team review the request. As of Tuesday afternoon, this news organization did not yet receive the information it had requested.
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In a separate motion, the Council approved reducing the building permit fees for the district’s three new schools by 30 percent because the district began televising their meetings. The Council said their September 2014 request had been met recently. It was unclear how much money the school district would see returned to its coffers.
