The Cornerstone Playhouse
Sussex. The Sussex Borough Council plans to ask for appraisals for six properties it owns, the largest being the Cornerstone Playhouse.
According to Councilman Frank Dykstra, it will cost up to $20,000 to get all 35 properties appraised and $12,000 for just the commercial properties.
The council plans to have an appraiser look at the theater, listed as 74 Fountain Square, two properties on Walling Avenue — 17 and 20 — the parking lot on the corner of Mill Street and Newton Avenue, and the adjacent Mill Street property.
There is also an empty lot on Harrison Street that the borough plans to have appraised.
Councilman Charles Fronheiser said the Harrison Street lot is over two acres. Mayor Edward Meyer described the property as “developable.”
The borough also owns several plots on Lake Shore Road that could be offered to the owners of the adjacent properties.
“If you offer to the surrounding owners, it has to be fair market value,” borough attorney Francis McGovern said. “If the assessed values are high, we have to get an appraisal to settle it. The other option is to put it up for auction and see who offers. Then you can take the highest bid and offer it to the surrounding owners at the same price.”
