Haddonfield's Purchase of Bancroft School Up For January Vote
By David Madden
HADDONFIELD, N.J. (CBS) -- Residents of Haddonfield, NJ will vote late next month on whether to foot the bill to acquire the Bancroft School, a facility for the mentally disabled that has been on the block for several years.
The measure on the ballot is a $12.5-million bond issue to provide the lion's share of the cost to acquire the 19-acre property.
It's right next to Haddonfield High School and would provide the school district with an ability to grow.
Open space and recreational usage are also part of the proposed package which, if approved, would also mean an average $200-a-year tax hike for homeowners.
"I think this is a great way for it to end, to let the public be involved in making the decision about how we move forward on this," says Haddonfield mayor Tish Colombi.
There have been a number of proposals developed over possible use of the land in a borough with precious little land available.
Bancroft, which has held off making a move on its own, has indicated that if the measure is defeated they will abandon their relocation plans, take the property off the market, and modernize where they are.
