Villa Madonna plan OK'd Allamuchy voters agree to spend millions to convert sisters' infirmary into school. Wednesday, January 24, 2007 • BY LYNN OLANOFF • The Express-Times ALLAMUCHY TWP. | Township voters Tuesday overwhelmingly approved spending $9.4 million to turn part of the historic Villa Madonna property into a new school. The school district's referendum was approved by an almost 4-to-1 margin, with 488 voters supporting the proposal and 139 voters opposing it. "I think it's almost unheard of," Superintendent Timothy Frederiks said. "We think it's really a strong, strong signal -- a vote of confidence in what the board is doing." Tuesday's vote will allow the board to turn the villa's three-story infirmary into a pre-kindergarten through first grade school with room to possibly house the second grade. The new school is scheduled to open in September 2008, just in time to accommodate 150 to 200 new students expected to enroll then. The Johnsonburg Road school is already eight students above its 362-student capacity and also houses the district's 50-pupil pre-kindergarten program. Allamuchy residents will pay about $55 per $100,000 of assessed home value for 25 years to pay for the new school. The state is contributing about $1 million to the $10.4 million project. Tuesday's voter turnout was higher than most school budget elections, which typically draw about 400 voters, school board Vice President James Britt said. "We had that many just voting yes," he said. "Whether people agreed or disagreed, there was a lot of interest in this election. That was important to us because we need to get people involved, we need to get them engaged." In addition to solving their occupancy needs, school district officials have touted the project for preserving a historic structure and open space, as well. The property includes a 103-year-old mansion that was once a getaway for President Franklin Roosevelt. School district officials plan to lease the mansion to another educational institution. While the school district will buy 12 acres along with the property's buildings, 20 other acres will be sold to the state for open space preservation. That land will be annexed to adjacent Allamuchy Mountain State Park. The entire property purchase is part of a resolution to a lawsuit the property's owner has against the state over the Highlands region. The Congregation of the Daughters of Divine Charity sued the state last year after land was put in the Highlands preservation area, where development is severely restricted. Reporter Lynn Olanoff can be reached at 908-475-8044 or by e-mail at lolanoff@express-times.com. © 2006 The Express-Times. Used by NJ.com with permission.