— The trains must go.
Superior Court Judge Karen Suter ruled Friday that the nonprofit Pemberton Township Historic Trust must find a new home for the dozen locomotives and rail cars outside the North Pemberton Historic Railroad Station off Fort Dix Road, the latest development in what has become a protracted fight over the future of the rolling rail stock.
The judge’s decision denied the trust’s request for a stay of the case and ordered the organization’s entire stock be removed within 60 days, Business Administrator Dennis Gonzalez said.
The ruling was unquestionably a victory for Mayor David Patriarca, who has fought for more than a year to have the cars removed from the township-owned station property. He has described the rail cars as eyesores and a liability to the town.
But it’s still unclear whether the ruling will bring about an end to the protracted legal battle between the municipality and trust.
Trust president Adrienne Leonard said the nonprofit group was incapable of moving the trains within the assigned deadline and would almost certainly appeal the ruling to a higher court.
“We don’t want to get rid of the trains. They belong there,” Leonard said Monday. “We’d be getting rid of one of the finest collections in New Jersey.”
http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/loc...cle_61c041ba-5a93-533e-8f0b-c7de4d9d877c.html
Superior Court Judge Karen Suter ruled Friday that the nonprofit Pemberton Township Historic Trust must find a new home for the dozen locomotives and rail cars outside the North Pemberton Historic Railroad Station off Fort Dix Road, the latest development in what has become a protracted fight over the future of the rolling rail stock.
The judge’s decision denied the trust’s request for a stay of the case and ordered the organization’s entire stock be removed within 60 days, Business Administrator Dennis Gonzalez said.
The ruling was unquestionably a victory for Mayor David Patriarca, who has fought for more than a year to have the cars removed from the township-owned station property. He has described the rail cars as eyesores and a liability to the town.
But it’s still unclear whether the ruling will bring about an end to the protracted legal battle between the municipality and trust.
Trust president Adrienne Leonard said the nonprofit group was incapable of moving the trains within the assigned deadline and would almost certainly appeal the ruling to a higher court.
“We don’t want to get rid of the trains. They belong there,” Leonard said Monday. “We’d be getting rid of one of the finest collections in New Jersey.”
http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/loc...cle_61c041ba-5a93-533e-8f0b-c7de4d9d877c.html
