Court-appointed commissioners determined the final price of the disputed land on Robbinsville-Edinburg Road at $8.7 million, marking another step forward in the ongoing legal battle for the Washington Woods/Edinburg Village property.
Robbinsville Township’s appraisal submitted to the court for the 225-acre parcel was $8 million, while the appraisal submitted by Washington Woods LLC was $11.5 million. With $2 million from Mercer County, the final cost to the township for the lot will be $6.7 million. The township cannot collect further damages for work done on the property since the work was performed prior to Robbinsville Township gaining title.
Mercer County Superior Court Judge Paul Innes ruled in January that the Washington Woods property was a public use and permitted Robbinsville Township to post the verified appraisal amount with the court to obtain legal title to the property. Robbinsville Mayor Dave Fried said the land will be dedicated to open space.
Township residents voted overwhelmingly on Nov. 8, 2016 to increase the open space tax levy by 1.5 cents for every $100 of assessed value to help purchase the property, which is across from Robbinsville High School.
Preservation of the Edinburg Village property took on added significance, the township said, due to its location. It is adjacent to one of Mercer County’s agriculture project areas and is part of a swath of preserved farmland at the intersection of Robbinsville and West Windsor townships. It also is adjacent to land preserved by West Windsor to the west and across the street from a 153-acre farm preserved by Robbinsville.
