Lawrence agrees to acquire property to block proposed hotel

LAWRENCE » Officials have reached an agreement for the township to acquire a Brunswick Pike property, effectively blocking a development company from building another hotel.

Officials recently reached an agreement with Sheft Associates Inc. for the township to acquire 5.9 acres of property located at 2420 Brunswick Pike, just southwest of Colonial Lake Drive. The property will be subdivided to allow Colonial Bowling and Entertainment to continue operations, according to municipal officials who say the agreement also provides the township the right of first refusal to acquire the remaining lot if Sheft decides to sell in the future.

“The purchase of this property and its addition to Colonial Lake Park represents the best of what Lawrence Township can accomplish by working with our citizens and various private and public organizations to preserve and enhance Colonial Lake for generations to come,” Mayor Christopher Bobbitt said in a written statement.

The township’s acquisition of the property will stop the proposed development of a three-story hotel that is currently being reviewed by the planning board. It will also ensure the land is preserved from future development, according to municipal officials.

Funding for the acquisition came from the township’s Open Space Fund, in addition to grant money from the county and the state, as well as funds provided by local nonprofit and citizen’s groups.