Subject: Pike facility eyed for town garage: By BEN MERITT, Staff Writer, HAMMONTON -- Councilmen Rock Colasurdo and Anthony Marino are pitching an idea to make a former car dealership on the White Horse Pike into a new home for the town's Highway Department garage. The former Chrysler dealership is located on the Pike's eastern end near the town's border with Mullica Township. Colasurdo said with the assistance of Mayor John DiDonato, the town has been in initial contact with the property's owners about its availability. "We came up with the idea that this would be an absolute, splendid highway garage," Colasurdo said. "With the permission of council, we are going to go out and try and negotiate with these people. We would like to look into this and see how far we can go with this." The town's current highway garage on Egg Harbor Road is showing its age, said town officials. It is likely the site will be purchased by the state if a proposed state office complex project is approved. "This building could last the next 50 to 100 years. The way the building is set up, you really don't have to add on to it," Marino said. "This building will satisfy the needs of the town long-term. Of course, the main thing is what this is going to cost. That's what we are going to look at." Colasurdo said any potential funds from the town's sale of its municipal property along Egg Harbor Road could be used toward the purchase of the vacant dealership. "If we could possibly pull this off it would be wonderful for the town and wonderful for the Highway Department," Colasurdo said. "If we could get a price in the next week or negotiate." The facility has ample room for the department's highway vehicles and features heated bays. Other renovations to the building could have the showroom turned into offices and meeting space, Marino said. However, Mayor John DiDonato on Monday voiced caution on the proposal. "My only concern is we have limited frontage on the White Horse Pike to attract ratables," DiDonato said, saying the site would be viable staying on the tax roles with a new commercial tenant.