Try, Try, Try Again! Frelinghuysen to Auction 30 Acres Off Route 94

May 9, 2023

How low will they go? Frelinghuysen officials hope the third time will be a charm when 30 acres of township-owned land are put up for auction on a lower minimum bid on May 15th.

Previous auctions on February 15th and March 22nd failed to produce any bids although several potential buyers had submitted registration forms to be eligible.

The property, 30.68 acres located at 720 Route 94, just south of the county line, was rezoned earlier this year for commercial research, office and manufacturing. The property has 1,383 feet of frontage along Route 94 and is mostly farmland.

Mayor Keith Ramos said that while there had been interest shown in the property, he felt the bidders needed more time to consider.

Several residents at a February 15th township committee meeting later that day were skeptical of the $2 million minimum bid. The minimum bid at the March 22nd auction was $1.8 million, according to the bid specifications while the minimum bid for the May 15th round will be $900,000.

“I cannot imagine where that number came from,” said one resident who owns property near the Route 94 lot of the $2 million.

Ramos said the $2 million minimum bid was calculated by the real estate agency handling the sale.

“This is our piece of property that we want to try to move it and we want to try to get the top value for it,” Ramos said.

Ramos added that the township has made several attempts to sell the property over the years. Frelinghuysen came into possession of the tract in February 2015 for $1 after a tax sale. Before the zoning change in November, it has been zoned as non-commercial.

Joe Phalon, Contributing Writer

Contributing Writer

Joe brings decades of journalism experience to the Ridge View Echo, covering everything from local school boards to the U.S. Supreme Court. A former National Law Journal editor and Columbia Law School press officer, he now enjoys telling community stories in Blairstown, where he lives with his wife, Rose, and their two dachshunds.