Neighbors question 3-million-square-foot project’s road improvements; company says its open to modifications.
By: Gwen Runkle
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Aerial Map shows the proposed general development for the Sarnoff Corp. property at Route 1 and Washington Road (Route 571) in West Windsor
WEST WINDSOR Sparks flew as Sarnoff Corp. began presenting its general development plan for a 3 million-square-foot technology campus before the township Planning Board on Wednesday.
Sarnoff officials got only halfway through their testimony before neighboring residents, including Councilwoman Rae Roeder, questioned the need for certain road improvements and even whether all affected residents were properly notified of the meeting.
"All the property owners within 200 feet of Sarnoff were not notified," Ms. Roeder said. "I live across the street within 200 feet and I was not notified."
She pointed out proper notification was made recently for the Township Council’s consideration of a zoning ordinance affecting Sarnoff’s property and questioned whether lack of notification for Wednesday’s session was more than a simple human error by the township’s Community Development Office, as Planning Board Attorney Gerald Muller suggested.
"I find it interesting that we who have most objected to Sarnoff’s plans were not notified," Ms. Roeder said, referring to herself and fellow neighbor Susan Parris, who lives on the corner of Washington Road and Fairview Avenue. "I sense a conspiracy."
At Wednesday’s meeting, Ms. Parris expressed fervent opposition to Sarnoff’s proposal to create a parallel road to Fairview Avenue with a traffic signal on Washington Road one of several proposals Sarnoff said it developed with community members’ input to help reduce the impact of traffic from the development on the Penns Neck area.
"At the one community meeting I was invited to, none of this stuff (the parallel road or traffic signal) was mentioned," Ms. Parris said. "The message being sent is that Penns Neck is expendable in this whole process."
But Kevin Moore, Sarnoff’s attorney, stressed that Sarnoff was in no way being "secretive" and would have no problem scrapping the road improvement plans if the township or residents disapprove.
"The parallel road, traffic light and eventual cul-de-sac of Fairview were in response to neighbor concerns," Mr. Moore said. "We think the light is needed, but we won’t do any of it if the neighbors and township do not want us to."
And Karl Pehnke, Sarnoff’s traffic engineer, said the parallel road and traffic signal would only "act as a Band-Aid" or be a temporary solution anyway. Once the Millstone Bypass is built, the original Fairview Avenue would become a cul-de-sac and the signal removed from Washington Road, he said.
Other road improvements in Sarnoff’s general development plan include moving the traffic signal and jughandle at Fisher Place on Route 1 north for a new driveway into Sarnoff. Fisher Place would then become a cul-de-sac, so there could be no access from Route 1.
Mr. Moore also indicated Sarnoff would have no problem if the township corrected and expanded its resident notification list for the Planning Board’s next meeting, scheduled for Wednesday.
At that meeting Sarnoff is expected to finish up its general development plan presentation with information on zoning compliance and the fiscal impact of the proposed technology campus.
The 3 million-square-foot technology campus would be built on just under 21 percent of Sarnoff’s 332.5-acre property.
The development would be phased, with additions to and renovation of Sarnoff’s existing facility being carried out over a 20-year period.
To expand Sarnoff’s existing 600,000-square-foot facility to 750,000 square feet, 350,000 square feet will be demolished, 250,000 square feet renovated and 500,000 square feet will be new construction.
The first phase of new development consists of 450,000 square feet of research and office space to be built near the existing Sarnoff site within five years.
Phase two consists of constructing the 900,000-square-foot "east campus," east of Little Bear Brook, which includes a hotel/conference center and research and office space. This is not expected to be built until the Millstone Bypass is in place, which Sarnoff sees as being 10 years in the future.
Phase three consists of 900,000 square feet of development that is expected to be transferred to Princeton University with the sale of a 90-acre parcel of the Sarnoff property along Route 1 and the Millstone River. Sarnoff officials believe the university would not develop the property for at least 10 years.
In total there would be 19 buildings on site, three to five stories high. There would be 8,783 parking spaces, 75 percent of which would be in 2½-story parking decks.
A little more than 7 acres of the site would be dedicated for use by a bus rapid transit line, 103 acres would be dedicated to the township as greenbelt and 6.95 acres would be used for athletic fields.