East Windsor is seeking input from its senior citizens about what it would like to see in the new seniors center at two meeting between now and Sept. 20.
By: Michael Arges
EAST WINDSOR How should the township’s new senior center be laid out? Area residents will have an opportunity to share their insights at two upcoming public presentations of the floor plan, site plan and other aspects of the new center, which the township will build on the Lanning Boulevard extension just beyond the new Wheaton Point seniors’ residences.
One presentation will be at Monday’s 8 p.m. Planning Board meeting at the municipal offices. The senior center will be the first item on the agenda, noted Mayor Janice Mironov in a Wednesday interview.
Residents will have a second chance to comment on the plans at a 1 p.m. presentation on Thursday, Sept. 20, at the present senior center at Hickory Corner and Dutch Neck roads.
At both meetings there will be a detailed discussion of the interior layout and space usage proposed by the center’s architects, Cody Eckert and Associates, the mayor noted.
"We’ll also be presenting the full site plan in terms of how it will be configured on the property," Mayor Mironov said.
The architects and engineers for the project will be present at both meetings.
In addition to providing a forum for public comment, the first meeting will be an opportunity to draw upon the Planning Board’s experience and insight, Mayor Mironov said.
"The presentation at the Planning Board is geared a bit more to solicit any technical comments or issues or overall site plan suggestions and comments," she explained. "Since the Planning Board is involved during the course of the year in reviewing all development applications in the town, they bring a great deal of experience and expertise to those types of planning matters, and we value any input that they may bring to the proposal."
The township planner and township engineer have looked at the plans in a summary way, Mayor Mironov said. This will be an opportunity for them to look at the plans in more detail and to voice their comments and questions.
Though expert insight will be gathered at the first meeting, township leaders are eager to receive the opinions of residents.
"We’re interested in hearing from members of the public as to how they believe that these proposals will address the needs in our community to provide a quality facility and series of activities and programs for senior citizens," the mayor said.
Decorative aspects of the building will also be considered.
"We will be discussing the overall architectural look of the building and the elevations," Mayor Mironov said. "There might be interest or suggestions in some of the decorative and visual aspects of the facility, such as materials and colors used."
The mayor suspects that people will be mainly interested in the practical details of the proposed building’s uses.
All aspects of the project will be open for discussion, but the focus will be on the basics.
"There will be landscaping plans, but right now we’re really looking more to solicit comments about the basic site plan and floor plans," the mayor said. "We welcome comment on furnishings, but that will not be a focus for these discussions."
Township leaders hope to finalize plans and specifications this fall, including the obtaining of necessary environmental permits. They hope to be able to solicit bids for the project by the end of 2001. If council members are satisfied with the first round of bids, they hope to break ground on the new center in spring 2002, with completion projected by the end of next year.
As proposed by the architects, the 10,825-square-foot building would feature a 2,289-square-foot multipurpose room, kitchen, game room, computer room, offices, arts and crafts room, board room, and combination reading and television room.
The land for the senior center was donated by Presbyterian Homes, and the township has secured $1.3 million in funding from county, state and federal sources. Township leaders expect to apply to the center $180,000 of the proceeds from the sale of the present senior center. Excluding furnishings and architectural fees, township leaders are projecting construction costs at about $1.2 million.