Hopewell Township Memorializes Up To $16.1 Million Commitment for Bear Tavern School Improvements
HOPEWELL TOWNSHIP, NJ (April 15, 2025) — At its April 14 meeting, the Hopewell Township Committee unanimously adopted a resolution memorializing its intent to allocate up to $16.1 million in PILOT (Payment In Lieu of Taxes) revenues to fund the actual cost of long-needed improvements at Bear Tavern Elementary School. This investment would eliminate the use of decades-old trailers by creating permanent classroom space—but remains contingent upon the resolution of ongoing litigation.
A Longstanding Commitment to Bear Tavern
“From day one, the Township has been clear: PILOT revenues from Hopewell Parc should support Bear Tavern,” said Mayor Courtney Peters-Manning. “We are thrilled to have identified a legal mechanism that would allow us to directly fund these essential improvements.”
This resolution marks a major milestone in Hopewell Township’s partnership with the Hopewell Valley Regional School District and reaffirms its commitment to ensure that Bear Tavern is supported.
Committee Member and Finance Liaison Kevin Kuchinski noted, “While Hopewell Parc won’t exceed the District’s existing classroom capacity, we believe this is the right thing to do. These investments will move students into real classrooms and provide long-term benefits to the community. PILOT revenues from Lennar should be used to help fund this expansion.”
Next Steps & Legal Obstacles
Hopewell Township is prepared to fund up to $16.1 million using a state-authorized framework that enables school districts to issue bonds for capital improvements without voter approval, provided the bonds are backed by a committed stream of municipal PILOT revenues.
Despite this progress, the Township is unable to proceed until ongoing litigation—filed by Hopewell Borough and Pennington Borough against the PILOT agreement with Hopewell Parc developer Lennar—is resolved. Although the Superior Court dismissed the lawsuit with prejudice in 2023, the Boroughs appealed, and the matter is still pending in the Appellate Division.
“As long as this litigation is active, we cannot move forward,” said Committee Member Michael Ruger, who is the School District Liaison. “The trailers have been at Bear Tavern since my kids went there years ago. The only thing standing in the way of delivering this critical funding to our schools is continued legal action by Hopewell and Pennington Boroughs. We respectfully urge them to withdraw their lawsuit so we can do what’s right for our students.”
The resolution authorizes the Mayor, Administrator, and Township Attorney to proceed with formal negotiations with the School District once the litigation concludes.
A Responsible Path Forward
Deputy Mayor David Chait, a Bear Tavern parent, added: “As a district parent with daughters at Bear Tavern, I’m thrilled the Township is in a position to contribute to these long-overdue upgrades. Our commitment to do so has been clear since the beginning.”
Committeewoman Uma Purandare added, “It’s important that new development supports needed investments—without shifting the burden to existing taxpayers. As a parent of two students who’ve benefited from Hopewell Valley schools, I support this plan to invest in the next generation of excellence.”
This action underscores Hopewell Township’s proactive and transparent approach to development. With funding set aside and a clear legal path identified, the Township stands ready to move forward once the moment litigation is resolved—for the benefit of Bear Tavern students and the entire Hopewell Valley community.