Land purchase a no-go after rejection of offer Council sought to buy 3 acres on Washington Road BY MICHAEL ACKER Staff Writer "The seller found the offer unacceptable, and that's fine by me" - Kennedy O'Brien Mayor SAYREVILLE - The owner of a 3- acre lot on Washington Road rejected the borough's $231,000 offer to purchase the property. And in turn, the Borough Council decided on Dec. 17 not to pursue the purchase any further. The council made the offer to Manalapan Enterprises LLC, of East Brunswick, which had purchased the land from Margaret Karcher last year. The owners informed Borough Business Administrator Jeffry Bertrand that they believe they can get a higher price than the borough's offer, Bertrand said. Councilwoman Kathy Makowski, who has been the lead proponent of the purchase, said she is not willing to pay a higher price for the land. She said she had hoped to buy the property to prevent future construction, such as a business, that would increase traffic. The vacant land is across from the borough's 9/11 memorial. "If it's too much, it's too much," Makowski said. The all-Democratic Borough Council had supported pursuing the purchase in recent months, despite objections from Republican Mayor Kennedy O'Brien. "It's a matter of preserving the space that beautifies the area." - Kathy Makowski Councilwoman O'Brien said the rejection of the borough's offer is welcome news. "The seller found the offer unacceptable, and that's fine by me," he said. Resident Barbara Kilcomons had urged the council against making the purchase at several meetings. She said at the Dec. 17 session that since the issue started getting media attention, she has been approached by a number of people, including former officials, who voiced concerns about the offer that the borough made. "They thought it should not be purchased," Kilcomons said. Resident Paul Sohayda also spoke out against the idea, saying the purchase price sought by the owner would not be worthwhile for the borough. While he commended Makowski for her efforts with this endeavor, he said he hoped the borough would give up its pursuit of this property. "Kathy, you did a great job trying to sell [the idea], but I hope you lose," Sohayda said. O'Brien said the development of businesses in the borough is less of a concern for him than residential properties, since businesses pay taxes but do not have an impact on the school district. The property, he argued, is not desirable from a developer's point of view. "I had heard earlier in the year from some of my colleagues who said that we might be spending up to half a million dollars, which I thought was lunacy," O'Brien said. "I didn't think buying a cliff was in the best of the taxpayers. One of the goals with open space is to buy developable property, primarily where residential housing can be built." Makowski said that while she does not want to make an offer above the amount appraised, she would like to preserve the land, which she believes can be developed. "We made a very fair offer," Makowski said. "At this time, the owner declined. We will see what the market brings down the road. If it is a matter where there is no interest over the next couple months, the property owner may come back to us." The councilwoman, elected last year, said the borough had a chance previously to purchase the land for $145,000, and she said it is unfortunate that the town did not do so. She added that she was surprised the town has not spent money to buy open space, despite creating an open space fund. Makowski said the council will now focus its attention on other properties that the borough's open space committee recommended for purchase. She said she will meet with that committee in January. "[The Washington Road site] is the No. 5 [parcel] recommended on the list," Makowski said. "It was within reason of what we could do with the money [in the open space fund]." Andy future development of that site would have a negative impact on traffic congestion on Washington Road, Makowski said. "My concern with this parcel of land was where it was located," Makowski said. "It was recommended by the open space committee. It was certainly something that we have funds available to purchase at a reasonable price. "It's a matter of preserving the space that beautifies the area," she added. "That land enhances the area."