Delanco approves $70,000 emergency appropriation to hold July special election on 401 Creek Road purchase

The Delanco Township Committee voted unanimously on May 19 to approve Resolution 2025-83, an emergency appropriation of $70,000 to cover expenses for a special election on a proposed bond to purchase 401 Creek Road. Committee members said the appropriation was authorized under NJSA 40:4-48 to meet time-sensitive contracting and election deadlines tied to the property transaction.

The committee approved the appropriation after the clerk read the resolution and the chief financial officer’s certification into the record; the motion passed on a roll call vote following a motion by Phil and a second by Kate. The resolution states the $70,000 emergency appropriation will be provided for in full in the 2026 budget and that certified copies will be filed with the Division of Local Government Services.

Why it matters: The vote sets a special election in July so Delanco residents can decide whether the borough should issue debt to acquire 401 Creek Road. Residents at the meeting urged the committee to delay the referendum to November to save roughly $70,000 in election costs, while officials pointed to contract deadlines and solicitor advice as the reason for scheduling the special election this summer.

Public concerns and official responses: Dozens of residents used public comment to press the township for details about the property. Mike Templeton, of Oakford Avenue, urged the committee to review new state flood- and resiliency-related land rules and asked about wetlands mapping and long‑term flood risk. Todd Burke and other speakers asked for transparency on environmental testing and for copies of phase‑one and phase‑two reports.

Township officials told the meeting they received a limited phase‑two soil and groundwater investigation late Friday; a summary read into the record stated that five surface soil samples, three subsurface samples and one groundwater sample had been analyzed and that the laboratory detections did not exceed applicable New Jersey soil remediation standards. A fuller report and lab sheets were promised to be distributed to the public this week. That testing summary was described in an ERRI letter included in the clerk’s reading; officials did not attribute the summary to a single named committee member in the meeting transcript.

Tax and financing questions: Residents asked how the purchase and bond would affect property taxes and what the bond’s terms would be. Officials said full bond terms had not yet been set because the bonding process requires bids after the estoppel and due‑diligence periods; they also said the township has already incurred some costs (environmental, legal and engineering) that would be sunk regardless of the vote outcome. Some residents said the long‑term tax consequences and remediation cost estimates (which were discussed in public) remain unclear.

Next steps: With the emergency appropriation approved, the township will proceed with the special election timeline and distribute the full environmental report to the public when it is available. The resolution specifies the special election arrangements; the committee said the township solicitor and the seller have discussed timing and potential contract extensions but that those negotiations are handled outside the public comment period.

The committee adjourned after taking the appropriation vote; no further formal action on the 401 Creek Road purchase was recorded at the meeting.