Decision looms on new $8.4M township building

LOWER POTTSGROVE » Despite having construction plans drawn up, the township commissioners have not yet pulled the trigger on whether to build the new $8.3 million township building on property they bought on High Street in Sanatoga.

Complicating that decision is a last-minute offer to buy the land where the new building would be located.

Two weeks ago, Township Solicitor Charles D. Garner Jr. told the commissioners he had been contacted by a lawyer representing a client interested in buying the property for commercial purposes.

As first reported in The Sanatoga Post, the commissioners said they might be interested, but, as Garner explained to the lawyer, the township would have to recover the costs they have already invested not only in acquiring the land, but also in the building design.

Although the subject did not come up in the public portion of the Nov. 2 meeting, it was discussed behind closed doors.

Garner confirmed the “executive session” to discuss “real estate” that the commissioners agreed to have after the public portion of the meeting was complete was related to the offer for the property.

In the meantime, one resident told the commissioners they should take the results of Tuesday’s national election into account.

“If the Democrats are elected, taxes will go up” and paying for the new building could present a hardship, said Chuck Coletti.

He said he builds sheds for an Amish businessman who has said he will shut down if the Democrats win today’s election. Coletti said it is already hard to get building supplies.

Commissioners’ Chairman Bruce Foltz said that is a factor the board will have to take into consideration.

In the meantime, the project continues to move forward.

The board’s Infrastructure Committee, which has overseen the project from the start, recently interviewed two firms that could serve as construction manager for the project.

They also discussed hiring a law firm to handle the bond the township is considering taking out to pay for the project.

EVAN BRANDT — MEDIANEWS GROUP Alloy 5architect Randy Galiotto outlines the state of the proposed $8.4million Lower Pottsgrove Township building for the commissioners at the Nov. 2 meeting.

An architect’s rendition of the proposed $8million Lower Pottsgrove municipal building as seen from East High Street.

EVAN BRANDT — MEDIANEWS GROUP This is what the new meeting room in the new Lower Pottsgrove Township building is designed to look like.