Schools Sale Goes Before Judge

A judge’s decision on the sale of three closed Bristol Township elementary schools will have to wait.

Bucks County Judge Jeffrey Finley oversaw the hearing on the district’s planned sale of the 17.5-acre John Fitch Elementary School on Greenbrook Drive, 10-acre Abraham Lincoln Elementary School on Plumtree Drive, and 17-acre George Washington Elementary School on Crabtree Drive to McGrath Homes for $1.2 million.

After hearing testimony, Finley said he would hold off on making a final decision until an injunction hearing involving the school district happens on February 19.

The hold up has to do with Revonah Construction’s request for an injunction over their attempt to purchase the John Fitch, Lafayette, and Abraham Lincoln elementary school buildings for $770,000. Revonah Construction feels they have a proper agreement and claim to purchase the buildings while the school districts contends that their 2017 agreement is no longer valid. Bucks County Judge Robert Mellon will hear more on the matter.

School board solicitor David Truelove told LevittownNow.com he believes the school district will prevail in the matter.

Thursday’s hearing before Finley is required by state law as the district looks to a private sale to sell the public land.

In court on Thursday morning, the $1.2 million McGarth Homes proposal was discussed. The sale would be among the largest recent property transfers in Bristol Township and contains about 45 acres of land in the Levittown section.

Real estate appraisal experts Joseph Vizza of Philadelphia Suburban Realty Appraisal Group and George Sangpiel of Langhorne Borough-based Sengpiel and Associates testified that the $1.2 million offer from McGrath Homes is fair for the three school properties.

“It is a fair price, not a steal,” Sangpiel told the court.

Vizza appraised the value of the Fitch property at $550,000, Washington at $500,000, and Lincoln at $355,000 for a total of $1.35 million. Sangpiel’s opinion was a bit different and valued Fitch at $$600,000, Washington at $120,000 due to the surrounding flood zone, and Lincoln at $360,000 for a total of $1.08 million.

Bristol Township School District Business Manager Josh Sweigard testified that demolition estimates for the three buildings were about $1.2 million, noting the needed abatement of hazardous materials the old schools.

Each month, the school district pays between $900 to $1,200 to maintain the empty school buildings, Sweigard said.

The school district received about a dozen bids for buildings since they offered them up for sale, Sweigard told the court.

Truelove said the Fitch school’s softball fields will be saved and just over 4 acres of the site will remain recreational property.

The closed Lafayette and Maple Shade elementary schools remain vacant and the school board awarded a nearly $600,000 contract last year to Premium Excavating and Demolition of Falls Township to tear down the buildings. The Lafayette site is 20.9 acres that borders county park property off Fayette Drive and Maple Shade is on a V-shaped 5.7-acre lot off Newport Road in Croydon.

Crews are continuing efforts to convert the former Clara Barton Elementary School into the district administration, transportation, and maintenance hub.

The school district and McGrath entered into an agreement of sale in July 2018 for the properties.

McGrath has proposed building 55-plus housing developments at the three school sites it aims to purchase.