"This is a rare opportunity, a rare moment that will have a historical significance for Solebury Township," said Supervisor Kevin Morrissey.
Jeff Werner, Patch Staff
SOLEBURY, PA — Solebury Township has entered into an agreement of sale to purchase a former quarry at 6970 Phillips Mill Road for $2.4 million.
Under the agreement, the township will acquire the 166 acre property - now 166 reclaimed acres of land with a 75-acre lake - from the New Hope Crushed Stone and Lime Company.
The quarry was ordered to cease operations by the state Department of Environmental Protection back in 2019 after decades of formal environmental complaints and litigation resulted in a final determination by the state that the quarry was a public nuisance, responsible for dangerous sinkholes, watershed depletion and dried-up wells, and the near eradication of Primrose Creek.
State regulators supervised the reclamation of the land and restoration of the waterway, which is now a large lake surrounded by native plants.
“The board decided now was the time to act and that the agreed upon price is more than fair from the township’s point of view,” said Mark Baum Baicker, chairman of the board of supervisors.
Find out what's happening in New Hope-Lambertvillefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Throughout the process, Baicker said the board has “diligently pursued funding that can significantly defray” the cost of the purchase to the township.
“At this point we feel confident that we have identified multiple such sources and in the end, the net outlay by Solebury will be significantly lower than this purchase price,” he said. “The hope is that this will all become clear over the coming weeks.”
This is how the quarry looked before it filled with water from Primrose Creek. (Solebury Township)
In addition, Baicker noted that an existing structure on the property could easily be used by the public works department for storage, saving the township $350,000 which it had budgeted for a new public works storage shed.
“I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to purchase the former quarry,” said Supervisor Kevin Morrissey, who has been involved with the quarry issue for the past 16 years. “This is a rare opportunity, a rare moment that will have a historical significance for Solebury Township and the surrounding community.
According to Morrissey, the property had been a quarry, describing it as “quite moon like. It’s evolved to a point now that some time ago there was a break in Primrose Creek. And it is now a lake. It’s quite sizable. And it will evolve into whatever the community decides to call it whether it be Solebury Lake or Lake Primrose. It’s going to be a significant addition to the community. It’s not a quarry anymore. It’s a wonderful lake.”
For decades, the site was a watercress farm that sold its products in Philadelphia and New York City. Eventually it was sold to be a small limestone quarry where pickup trucks would be loaded with stone to pave small roads, border a garden or other small projects.
Over the years, the quarry pit expanded to 60 acres and to a depth of 120 feet below sea level with large construction trucks loaded with tons of stone gravel traveling to and from the site.
In 2019 the Pennsylvania DEP ruled that the quarry had become a public nuisance, lowering groundwater and creating sinkholes in nearby residential areas. The DEP ordered a reclamation plan to be implemented.
“I am honored to support the township to rediscover this past treasure for future generations," said Morrissey. "I believe it will significantly enhance the quality of life in this community with new opportunities and experiences."
The agreement of sale does include an out for the township in the event environmental testing reveals any significant defects at the property, said Baicker.
In a separate motion, the board of supervisors voted to appoint Gilmore Associates, Inc. to conduct the environments testing, including a phase two environmental site assessment, which will include a geophysical survey, soil and groundwater sampling.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.