Properties Committee Recommends Land Purchase in Belmont Hills

The Lower Merion Board of Commissioners Township Properties Committee on Wednesday night voted 10-4 to recommend that the full board authorize the township manager to enter into an agreement of sale to purchase 130 Highland Ave. in Belmont Hills for the entrance to a new park and other uses.

Commissioner Lewis Gould, Scott Zelov, Philip Rosenzweig and Jenny Brown voted against the proposal.

The property at 130 Highland Ave. is a .9 acre site which is adjacent to the township’s “Croyle” clean fill site which is expected to reach its full capacity in about a decade.

When it reaches capacity, the township plans to convert the Croyle clean fill site to parkland or an athletic field.  The township would like to purchase 130 Highland Ave. to use as an entry to the future park, parking spaces and a safe turnaround for fire apparatus.

The Township Solicitor’s Office has been working with the owners of 130 Highland Ave. and Solicitor Gilbert High and township Assistant Planning Director Chris Leswing have negotiated a purchase price cost to the township of $325,000, said Township Manager Doug Cleland. The owner would then contribute $25,000 for recreational and trail support.

Rosenzweig said it makes sense to acquire the property but he takes issue with the price, which he thinks is too high.

Cleland said the most recent appraisal of the property supported the purchase price.

Brown asked how much the township’s appraiser said the property was worth.

Assistant Township Manager Patricia Ryan said the appraiser said it is worth $250,000.

During public comment, Lisa Fusaro said she had heard that the owner of the property would have “naming rights” or a plaque at the future park.

When commissioners asked Cleland if Fusaro was correct, he said there was a request for a plaque at the site, acknowledging prior ownership of the land.

“That’s pretty astounding,” Gould said.

Commissioner Daniel Bernheim asked if the plaque was a contingency of the sale.

“It has been up until now,” Cleland said.

Rosenzweig then made a motion that no plaque, naming rights or acknowledgement of the seller be placed at the property site or any other location, and that it not be part of the agreement of sale.

The committee voted 9-5 to approve Rosenzweig’s motion.

Board of Commissioners President Liz Rogan and Commissioners Paul McElhaney, George Manos, Steven Lindner and Brian McGuire voted against Rosenzweig’s motion.