In every edition of the Ewing Observer, Mayor Bert Steinmann answers readers’ questions.
I live in the Wynnwood Manor section of Ewing where two teens set fire to a house on Franklin Road. I have called the township on several occasions asking when the house will be torn down. I was told that it is proving difficult to find the owner. It has been more than five months since the fire, when will action be taken?
–Nick De Filippo
We have reached out to the bank that holds the mortgage on the property as the owners of record walked away from the property. The bank has indicated that they are contracting out to begin the process of demolishing the house on the property. We gave them a deadline of December. If they have not demolished the house, the township, through the condemnation board, will be asked to approve demolition at its January meeting.
Last year, I was reprimanded by a Ewing Police officer as to where I could park my car on elementary school grounds. This year, the same officer is using his patrol car to be in unauthorized areas as he watches his child walk to school. Since he is on duty, should he be allowed to sit and observe his child as the child travels to school?
–Joanne Graham
During the morning, when school is starting, and the afternoon when school is ending, police cars are stationed at our schools by order of their supervisors. This is in cooperation with the Board of Education.
From time to time, I receive mail from a company that provides insurance for exterior water lines. The most recent mailing I received stated, “The water service line buried underground on your property could fail without warning, leaving you responsible for the cost of repair. Protection is available for eligible Ewing homeowners with city water or private well lines…” Is the homeowner responsible to pay for the repair of the water line? The company defined an exterior water service line as from the water company’s connection to the point of entry into your home.
–Debbie Stevenson
The water lines from your curb to your house are your responsibility. Trenton Water has a contract with an outside company to sell insurance on those lines. You are not obligated to purchase it. However, I can use my own experience on this issue as a cost comparison. I did not purchase the water line insurance. Last year my water line broke just inside my curb. I paid a company $1,800 to fix the line and repair my driveway and lawn. The cost of insurance is about $80 to $100 a year. This would cover work costing up to around $5,000 a year.
How long is it going to take to have two eyesores in the township improved from their present deplorable condition? I make reference to the former Carvel ice cream store on Olden Ave. and the former Channel 52 TV studio on Parkside Ave. Both of these properties have stood vacant for years and do nothing but detract from the surrounding area.
The Parkside Avenue property has become overgrown to the point of hardly being able to see the building, which makes for an inviting place for the gathering of undesirables. If the owner refuses to clean the property, can the township do this and charge the owner for the cost?
–Wes Rice
The old Carvel has had approval to from Ewing Township to build a new business. The delay was with the state Department of Environmental Protection due to the nearby stream across Olden Avenue. The owner just this month received approval from the DEP to move forward. He now has to apply for the permits with the township to complete the process.
The former Channel 52 studio has had many proposals for housing, but the market conditions for what they wanted did not work out. I have asked my Code Enforcement director to have them clean up the property. If they do not clean it, we can clean it up and file a lein on the property. Taxes on both properties are paid up to date.
If you have a question for the mayor for next month’s edition, submit it by emailing bsanservino@mercerspace.com or by going to mercerspace.com and searching for “Ask the Mayor.” You must be a Ewing resident.
