Council introduces $3 million bond ordinance to buy 1550 Haidider Lane for open space

Gloucester Township council introduced Ordinance 0-26-03, a bond ordinance authorizing up to $3 million in general obligation bonds or bond anticipation notes to acquire a parcel read at the meeting as 1550 Haidider Lane for recreational and open-space preservation. The clerk said the purchase price will be determined by a Green Acres appraisal and that the township received a $2 million Green Acres grant for the project.

The clerk told the council that 75% of the purchase price would be funded by the Green Acres grant and that the township is seeking an additional grant (amount read during the meeting). Council members moved to introduce the ordinance, and a roll-call vote approved advancing the measure to a hearing at its second reading.

The ordinance text as introduced authorizes the township to issue bonds to fund the acquisition, makes certain determinations and covenants required by state law and Green Acres procedures, and directs related actions to satisfy Green Acres requirements. The clerk said a public hearing will be held at the ordinance’s second reading, when residents can comment and the council may vote on final adoption.

The meeting record shows residents raising questions via email about the rationale for purchasing the parcel and the tax revenue the property has generated while privately owned. The clerk responded that the Green Acres appraisal determines the purchase price and reiterated the grant funding approach. The council did not take final action on the ordinance at this meeting; the ordinance was introduced for a later public hearing and vote.