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West Cornwall Township supervisors have entered into an agreement to purchase 67 W. Main St., at the corner of Zinns Mill Road and state Route 419, in Quentin.
“The supervisors are trying to be proactive and looking to future commercial and residential development along Main Street,” said supervisor David Lloyd, who announced the agreement at Monday’s meeting. “It was wise for the township to secure the property.”
Read More: West Cornwall Twp. supervisors vote to acquire historic Quentin property
By purchasing the almost half-acre lot, the township will add 26 to 28 parking spots for visitors, shoppers, and residents, supervisor Dennis Tulli said.
“We’re pretty happy about that,” Tulli added. “We need a municipal parking area.”
Zoned commercial, the property includes a black-topped parking area and a stone building that, at one time, was a livery stable and blacksmith. It later became a gas station. Currently, it is unoccupied.
“Most anybody would tear the building down, but we heard from the public about trying to preserve it,” Lloyd said.
Several community members asked about the township’s intended use of the building as well as if supervisors had investigated the costs to improve or renovate it. No decisions about future use have been made, and until the township owns the building, getting estimates is premature, Tulli said.
“We’re taking it step by step,” Lloyd said. “We have several ideas that we’ve floated. There are a lot of pieces to try to put together.”
Among those is determining whether the building can be registered as historic and how to balance historical value with upgrades, Lloyd added.
Settlement is expected on or before May 23.
In other business, township engineer Jeff Steckbeck reminded those in attendance of the first hearing of the conditional-use application submitted by Quentin Associates for the site of the former Quentin Riding Club. The hearing will be held at 6:30 p.m. April 23 in the township building.
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Steckbeck, who also serves as the engineer for the West Cornwall Township Municipal Authority, reported that the sewer collection and water distribution systems are in good shape.
West Cornwall Township supervisors meet at 73 S. Zinns Mill Road on the second Monday of each month at 6:30 p.m. The next meeting is Monday, May 13. These meetings are open to the public and do not require registration.
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