The Township Committee unanimously voted to enact an ordinance to acquire the now-defunct Swartswood Volunteer Fire Department's firehouse and cell tower lease -- concluding a three-year ordeal that involved the closure of the fire department, the arrest of two members and the recent disposition of their cases.
The township will now acquire the former firehouse building, located on roughly two acres on Swartswood Road. Discussions about the building's use have been kicked around among committee members; among the ideas were moving fire equipment to the building to cover fires in that area and using it as a community center.
Mayor Lisa Chammings said the revenue from the cell tower has yet to be disclosed to the township pending a contract that the township had not signed, awaiting the enactment of the ordinance. She said she believes it garnered about $2,500 a month to the Swartswood Fire Department.