BERKELEY – As of right now, the Central Regional School District is not going to be selling the Middle School’s overflow parking lot, officials said.
As overflow parking, this is not used most days. Events are usually held at the neighboring high school so most people park there.
This is at the very least being paused right now as the district conducts their superintendent search, Business Administrator Kevin O’Shea said.
At a recent Board of Education meeting, a bid to purchase the land by Radix Capital, LLC was rejected.
“CRSD is not moving forward with the sale of the land and the proposed project,” interim Superintendent Douglas Corbett said in an interview after the meeting. “The lot is being used for overflow parking. The proposed plan was for commercial usage. The bid was reviewed by the Board Attorney, Mr. Dasti, and based on his input the BOE felt it was in the best interest not to move forward.”
The minimum asking price in the bid was $1.5 million, O’Shea said.
“We had three or four groups inquire about the project but ultimately only received the one bid,” he said. “The bid was rejected because the way it was proposed was essentially not able to be accepted. Our attorney reviewed everything and ultimately the way it was proposed (it) would not have been approved by the NJ Department of Education.”
It is unknown how this construction would have changed traffic in the area as that would be worked out during the planning stages of whatever was proposed.
The land is close to the Garden State Parkway, which is favorable for commuters.
A few years ago, a single-family home at the corner by the High School’s parking lot entrance was torn town and a 7-Eleven was built in its place. This led to concerns by neighbors of additional traffic and garbage overflow from a commercial building moving in to a residential area.
