Greystone's Kirkbride Building Could Be Saved Under Proposed Bill, Senator Says

Through legislation introduced last week, state senators Joe Pennacchio and Anthony Bucco said there might be a way to limit the sale of remaining parts of the Greystone property that is owned by the state and have that land be maintained as open space by Morris County.

However, since then,  the all-volunteer group Preserve Greystone said the senators’ statement “makes no mention of the massive historic structures on the site, including the 1876 Kirkbride Building,” which the group is actively looking to preserve. 

Also, the Parsippany council passed a resolution unanimously rebuking the senators’ bill urging the senators to preserve the Kirkbride Building.

Drafted by Councilman Jonathan Nelson, “our resolution rebukes the bill introduced by senators Bucco and Pennacchio by urging them to withdraw their bill,” said Nelson.

Senator Pennacchio fired back and told Patch on Thursday that the bill “doesn’t preclude the saving of Kirkbride at all.”

He emphasized that in the the bill, Morris County is limited to using the property for the following purposes: recreation, conservation, historic preservation, farmland preservation and associated public services. 

Pennacchio said he has not seen a proposal that includes developing the land strictly for historical preservation, which would save Kirkbride, and he is worried about developers who want to use the land for residential and commercial purposes.

“I’m concerned that under the guise of historical preservation, that we have developers coming in and wanting to develop that (land) and I’m very much against that,” said Pennacchio.

He added that the 165-acre surplus of land should belong to the county “for the enjoyment of the … surrounding communities” and “Morris County has proven to be a great steward of that land."

On the other hand, Nelson brought up that the bill needs to be more specific to ensure the preservation of Kirbride.

"The State is ultimately responsible for the remediation of hazardous materials on the Greystone property," said Nelson. "If Senator Pennachio were to include a provision that Morris County must take the historic Kirkbride building along with the rest of the property after remediation, I will wholeheartedly support his bill."

The Morris County Freeholders are expected to discuss this issue on Monday. Greystone has been a controversial topic with its $50 million demolition price tag that was determined after Gov. Chris Christie announced plans in late 2011 to remediate and convert Greystone Park in Parsippany—about 165 acres.

Morris Plains Mayor Frank Druetzler supports the senators' bill, telling the Daily Record the county has been an "excellent steward for the land."

Related Patch Articles:

• Parsippany Officials Push to Protect Greystone Building From Demolition
• Greystone Can Be Saved 'Without Mass Spending Measures,' Senators Say
• Non-Profit to Senators: What About Saving Greystone's Kirbride Building?
• Greystone May Be Salvaged by Nonprofit Saviors
• Greystone Park Demo to Cost $50M
• Greystone Gone? Iconic Asylum On Chopping Block
• Photos: Greystone Deterioration