Board of Education Returns Lincroft Library to Middletown Township

The Middletown Board of Education voted unanimously to return the building that formerly housed the Lincroft Library to Middletown Township at a recent special action meeting. 

The Lincroft Library, located on Newman Springs Road, was closed on March 1, 2013 due to what the Library Board described as budget constraints. At the time, the township was leasing the property from the Board of Education, according to Board Attorney Christopher Parton.

"The Board of Education deeded it to the township as long as it was used as a library. There was a reversion in the deed that said if you stop using it as a library, it goes back to the Board of Education," he said. 

According to Parton, the Board ultimately decided they didn't have a use for the building. 

"The Board spent three months debating what exactly they could do with that property. It's relatively small. It's useful, but for what? The Board decided after a lot of discussion that the best thing to do with it was to allow the township to use the property because the board didn't have an educationally useful way to use it," he said. 

The township indicated that they hoped to use the building for additional office space, however they are not required to, according to Parton. 

The lease agreement is for a five year term with an annual rent of $1.