Edison Council Passes Resolution To Purchase Warehouse Property

EDISON, NJ – After months of protest comes positive news for the residents of Silver Lake, Edison.

The town council unanimously passed a resolution on Monday night, to purchase the site of the controversial warehouse and preserve it as an open space.

Patch reported on Monday that the owner of the property on which the warehouse was to be built, had agreed to sell the property to the township as an ‘open space.’

Read More Here: Edison Warehouse Owner Willing To Sell Property As Open Space

On Dec.4, Mayor Thomas Lankey wrote to freeholder director Ronald G Rios, formally requesting the county to purchase the land.

“While open space is desirable on its own, this property is currently being considered for a large warehouse development that would severely impact the quality of life for a large number of Edison residents,” Lankey wrote.

Lankey said he was advised by County Commissioner Charles Tomaro, that Middlesex was in a "good position to help Edison residents" in the matter.

At Monday night’s meeting, councilman Robert Diehl introduced the resolution to support the preservation of 41 Glendale as open space.

“This is something that we know is important to our residents. I’ve received a lot of phone calls, emails and... I think it’s important we support this resolution tonight and support the recommendation from our open space committee,” he said.

Since August, the residents of Silver Lake have been protesting the building of the warehouse on the intersection of Glendale and Silver Lake avenues. They have been canvassing the neighborhood and have also created a Facebook page "Silverlake Edison" to organize.

Residents say that building the warehouse will result in increased vehicular traffic in the neighborhood, jeopardizing the safety of those who live there and affecting the overall quality of life.

Read More Here: Edison Residents Protest Warehouse Project

Back in September, Walter R. Stochel Jr., chair of the Edison Open Space Advisory Committee, wrote to councilman Joe Coyle, highlighting how building of the warehouse would disregard the preservation goals of the Raritan River. The property borders the Raritan River, and the Raritan Branch of the former Lehigh Valley Railroad, dead ends into the property, the committee noted.

Back in 2018, the Open Space Plan identified the property as a potential acquisition, and trail. Stochel said the building of the warehouse would “changes some lot lines on properties that border Silver Lake Ave. at the Raritan River.” He expressed concern that the development would block public access to the Raritan.

At Monday’s meeting Diehl praised the town’s Open Space Committee for their work. “This is a volunteer committee; they’ve met every month for at least 20 years... They’ve identified every parcel in this town many times over.” said Diehl "Through their efforts we’ve been able to save 1000 or more acres of land in this township,” he said.

Councilman Sam Joshi had earlier told Patch that purchasing the property for open space was “ideal since the funds would come from Middlesex County and can be used towards recreational use."

The final decision on the property purchase now rests with the county.

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