Borough Manager Mason Villarma has purchased two lots from the municipality, totaling 34,000 square feet, almost 0.8 acres, for the assessed value of $85,000, for future development as work buildings or storage, possibly housing.

The assembly on May 27 approved the property sale after no one protested the transaction. The assembly had voted in March to proceed with the sale, with protests accepted until mid-April.

After the March meeting, the borough clerk ordered a new appraisal of the value of the two adjoining lots. That appraisal determined a value of $42,500 for each lot, a substantial increase from last year’s assessed value of $33,000.

“First things first, I need to get it cleared,” Villarma said in an interview after the final assembly approval. The wooded lots are at Etolin and Pine streets, across from a predominantly residential area a couple blocks uphill from Zimovia Highway.

In his land purchase application to the borough, Villarma said he was looking at building a 2,400-square-foot shop/garage on each property; one for personal storage and one for a business venture.

“It might be boat storage or container storage until I can save up enough to build a shop,” he said this spring. “It’s amazing. You think we have a lot of storage, but you look around and there are boats in the street and cars everywhere. I think there’s certainly a need.”

His schedule to clear the lots and move ahead with construction depends on the availability of contractors, he said.

“I am just rolling through different ideas,” Villarma said of his plans for the parcels, which could include taking a look at building a duplex.

In addition to paying the appraised value for the lots, he will have to pay the borough’s costs of the appraisal, advertising expenses and recording fee.

The planning and zoning commission in February recommended approval of the sale.