A series of public workshops to craft a new vision for Route 31 in the Hopewell Valley will begin on Oct. 17 at the Hopewell Township Municipal Building.
This initiative will begin with a free, community potluck supper starting at 6:15 p.m., followed by a workshop and hands-on land-use planning exercises beginning at 7:30 p.m.
Participants are encouraged to bring a dish. Hot and cold beverages, napkins, plates and utensils will be provided.
Together, the community will craft its vision of Route 31 in the Hopewell Valley. The Oct. 17 meeting is "just the beginning of an important conversation that all Valley residents and others are encouraged to be a part of in the coming weeks and months about the state highway," said Hopewell Township Planning Board member Kathy Bird.
Leaders of Hopewell Township, Pennington Borough and Hopewell Borough and community members will work to create a community vision for Route 31.
The initiative is being funded largely by a Smart Growth Planning Grant from the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs. Hopewell Township is picking up the balance.
"Our objective is to maintain a vibrant community that is attractive, pedestrian-friendly, and safe for the residents and businesses located along Route 31," said Mayor Marylou Ferrara, who is also a member of the Planning Board.
Dodson Associates, a firm of landscape architects and planners based in Ashfield, Mass., and Robert A. White, a landscape architect and transportation planner from Vermont, comprises the professional team that will help Hopewell Township and the two boroughs manage growth and redevelopment in the Route 31 corridor. They are working with township planner Michael Bolan of Banisch Associates and Pennington Borough planner Tamara Lee.
There will be three public workshops. While the kickoff is Wednesday evening, Oct. 17, the others will be on Saturdays in order to achieve greater public participation. They are Dec. 8 and Jan. 19.
"At the end of this effort, we expect that plans for the Route 31 corridor will be incorporated into the master plans of the township and Pennington Borough, and that we will have design guidelines ready for incorporation into local zoning ordinances," said Ms. Bird.
The first workshop is aimed at focusing on creating an overall vision for the Route 31 corridor, and on identifying key objectives of the community. The workshop will begin with a presentation by the project team on existing conditions including site analyses and opportunities and constraints.
Anyone with any questions should call Ms. Bird at 466-8941 or Hopewell Township Administrator Christine Smeltzer at 737-0605.
