Pedestrians are a top concern for Village Park entrance.
By: Matt Kirdahy
The Township Committee will consult Cranbury Housing Associates to make it safer for pedestrians to get to Village Park.
The committee wants to define a small path into the park from Maplewood Avenue so people no longer need to compete with moving cars at the current entrance and along Maplewood Avenue. The proposed walking and biking path would start at the 60-foot-wide piece of land across the street from the PNC Bank parking lot.
The CHA owns the property, which was deeded to the organization in the 1960s with the stipulation that it be used for affordable housing.
Mark Berkwosky, president of the CHA, said Thursday he wasn’t sure if the path was permitted, because of the restrictions on the property’s use. He said the CHA would discuss it and contact the committee.
The town is considering an easement, which would give it access to the property but not affect ownership. The town wants to lay gravel or wood chips to define the path.
According to Township Administrator Fred Carr, the proposed path would be removed if the CHA made plans to build a house on the tract as part of its affordable housing obligations.
Committeeman Alan Danser said Monday something should be done to make it safer for people visiting the park.
"A small strip should be laid to define the pedestrian activity, even if it is just a wood-chip path," he said.
Representatives from the Parks Planning Commission and the Board of Recreation Commissioners brought the matter to the committee’s attention in November 2002.
Judy Dossin of the Parks Planning Commission said it would be safer for kids who walk to the park if this proposed trail existed.
"We should try to redirect pedestrian traffic away from the main entrance where vehicles travel," Ms. Dossin said. "There is currently a sidewalk next to the entrance roadway but it’s too narrow, making access limited for groups."
Beth Veghte of the township Board of Recreation Commissioners said that when children use the park they have to walk along Maplewood Avenue near potentially dangerous traffic.
"People bike and walk to the park along that road," Ms. Veghte said about Maplewood Avenue. "It’s so busy in the spring and the fall that it would be safer to consider this path."