Township Committee Closes on Averett Property

Chatham Township Attorney Carl Woodward confirmed Thursday that the township finalized the purchase of approximately 17 acres along Hillside Avenue, River Road, Fairmount Avenue and Southern Boulevard.

The area, known as the Averett property, was purchased from the former owner Samuel Averett for $2 million. Of those funds, $1,400,000 was provided by a grant from the County of Morris Open Space Fund and $275,000 from a charitable donation to the township.

The property will be preserved as open space. Existing structures will be torn down, Mayor Nicole Hagner said, after Habitat for Humanity has a chance to review the fixtures and see if there is anything they want.

"It'll be a nice addition to our open space," Woodward said after the meeting.

Road Improvements

The committee also of Somerville for the milling and paving of Mt. Vernon Avenue and a portion of River Road.

The base bid of the contract is for $416,621.08, according to Township Engineer John Ruschke. A grant from the state Department of Transportation will cover $180,000 of the bid, and Morris County, which has jurisdiction over a portion of the River Road section of the project, will pay a further $162,000. Chatham Township's portion of the bid fee is $74,000, Ruschke said.

Ruschke estimated the project would take between three and four weeks, plus approximately two additional weeks for Top Line Construction to provide the requisite documentation, sign the contract and mobilize the equipment before they begin work. Two inches of pavement from the affected area will be torn up and 2 inches of new pavement will be laid in again, Ruschke said.

"We're not shutting down the road. We'll always have one lane of traffic going through," Ruschke said. He also stated construction will take place during the day and not at night.

In other business:

• The committee approved a one day liquor license for the Chatham Township Firefighter's Benevolent Fund, which will take place at the on Oct. 1.
• Hagner said a memorial service for the Chatham residents who died in the 9/11 terrorist attacks will take place at 6:30 p.m. on Sept. 8 at the .