Cranbury township groups and organization look to make a difference in 2004.
By: Matthew Kirdahy
Leaders of several township organizations have high expectations for the new year coming off a busy 2003.
Prior projects continue and new ones will start. To learn more about their plans, The Cranbury Press approached local organizations with the question "What are your goals for the coming year?"
The answers follow:
Pari Stave
Township Committee
Pari Stave, who served as mayor until midnight Wednesday, led a discussion at the Township Committee’s last meeting of 2003 on the township’s 2004 goals. They include construction of a new police station, a new baseball field, the acquisition and preservation of open space and sidewalk improvements in the village.
Some of those projects are carrying over from 2003, when the township began negotiations with Margaret Angelo, the owner of the 53-acre Fischer parcel on South Main Street. The township wants to acquire the property and preserve it as open space. The township appraised the property at about $2 million. The owner has not said how much she will sell the property for.
Also planned for next year, the township will begin construction on its new one-story 16,000-square-foot police station without a basement to be built on Station Road, adjacent to the Cabot Industrial Park and historic Holland House. The station will be built on a 1.6-acre parcel. The township has said the station would cost about $3 million.
The township also has discussed plans for a new Babe Ruth League baseball field on the Wright property adjacent to the Cranbury School. The township acquired the 40-acre Wright south property in October 2001. Earlier this year it subdivided 12 acres of the property for future township use.
Brown & Keener Urban Designs of Philadelphia will design the proposed ball field, which is expected to cost $75,000. Township officials expect the cost to be covered by a grant from the Middlesex County Open Space and Recreation and Farmland and Historic Preservation Trust Fund.
The township also will continue to pursue its sidewalk improvement plan, originally slated to begin this year. The township will improve the condition of Cranbury’s sidewalks in the village and some outlying areas.
Township Engineer Cathy Marcelli evaluated 19,430 feet of sidewalk in Sept. 2001 in the village and identified 46 percent as being in "good" condition, 33 percent as "fair" and 21 percent as "poor."
Ms. Marcelli had said the construction would cost approximately $25 per linear foot, which means that it would cost about $102,500 to repair 4,100 feet of so-called "poor" sidewalks. This estimated cost does not include tree removal.
Joan Rue
Board of Education
Joan Rue, Cranbury Board of Education president, said that in 2004 the district could see construction of a new driveway to the school parking lot, changes to the facilities use policy and is getting ready for teacher contract negotiations.
In 2003, the board completed a 36,000-square-foot expansion, which opened Sept. 1. The gymnasium, also part of the expansion, won’t be ready until January. The expansion was approved in a January 2002 referendum and cost Cranbury taxpayers $5.9 million.
Ms. Rue said that once the gymnasium is finished, the board would meet with community organizations to see how and when they want to use the gym. The gym’s public use would require the board to consider updating its facilities use policy for 2004.
Those uses would encompass any parts of the building including the large group instruction room. The project cost the district about $293,000, with $50,000 coming from the Cranbury Educational Foundation and $183,000 from Board of Education’s capital reserve funds.
"We also look forward to successful negotiations with the teachers," Ms. Rue said. "We need to look at our plans for the future with some teachers deciding to retire and come up with a contract that serves as a useful tool in treating new teachers as well."
As far as new staff this year, the district hired Vice Principal Christine Capaci.
"She jumped right in and became so effective immediately," Ms. Rue said.
In 2004, the district also will enter the second phase of its parking lot construction by paving and adding landscaped islands to its 170 parking space lot.
Ms. Rue also hopes to work with the town more on the preservation of the West property adjacent to the school and the construction of a driveway into the school parking lot from Park Place West. The township has said that it would look at the design and construction of the Park Place West driveway for 2004.
Beth Veghte
Recreation
Beth Veghte of the Board of Recreation said 2003 was a good year for recreation in Cranbury and hopes to improve on some park programs and push for more township park space in 2004.
In summer 2003, the board hosted three concert programs for kids and a night time movie in Village Park. It also helped place a new tot lot in Heritage Park.
"We may like to have one of those movie nights every other week," Ms. Veghte said. "It’s something for everyone to have fun."
Ms. Veghte said she’d also like to see a bike path come to Cranbury. She didn’t name any spots that would fit such a path, but said proposed township architectural design plans for the 12-acre Wright property subdivision suggest a bike path could go on the property adjacent to the school.
The township also plans to put a ball field on the Wright property, but is awaiting arsenic soil remediation to begin before it’s built. The township will clean the soil late spring, early summer.
Ms. Veghte said the board is looking forward to the township discussing an ordinance that would secure a place for more parks in Cranbury’s future. In December, the Planning Board voted to have the township to develop an ordinance to ensure that future open space acquisitions at least be considered for active and passive recreational use.
"We’re happy to see the town start banking park space for the future," she said.
The Board of Recreation also plans to resurface the tennis and basketball courts in Village Park and possibly discuss a place for another park pavilion in town to accommodate park goers in the wet weather.
"We’d also like to see a big improvement with what sorts of activities that are offered to the senior citizens," Ms. Veghte said, mentioning the new K. Hovnanian 136-unit adult living development being built in Cranbury. "We want to get a handle on what they’re interested in and see whether or not we could provide it for them."
Pat Wood
Women’s Club
President of the Women’s Club Pat Wood said the new year for her club means maintaining community involvement and possibly increasing membership.
"We maintain a fairly stable membership throughout the year," Ms. Wood said. "We added another four new members last year and with the new adult community in town we hope to add more."
Throughout the year, the Women’s Club holds fund-raisers, lights the town Christmas tree and sponsors an Easter egg.
"May is our busiest month," Ms. Wood said.
In spring, the Women’s Club goes to the Cranbury School and hosts a flower sale and participates in the Memorial Day parade.
"This year we’re trying to put together a float for the parade," Ms. Wood said. "We stopped using it three or four years ago and we thought we’d reactivate the tradition."
Frank McDonald
HPAC
In August, the township said it wanted to clarify some gray areas regarding Historical Preservation and Advisory Committee regulations.
A proposed ordinance amendment would redefine the existing boundaries of the historic district; ease some rules requiring homeowners in the historic district to gain approval from HPAC before any construction or home improvements begin; and will include a reference book to use as a guide for homeowners and HPAC.
The Township Committee and HPAC members said they hope to have the amended ordinance adopted this year.
Established in 1988, HPAC is a five-member committee that advises the Planning and Zoning boards, as well as residents, on the impact of development applications on structures designated as historic or located in the historic district.
Mr. McDonald said he’d like to see some of the historic buildings outside of the historic district preserved, though he did not name specific locations.
"It’s all about getting this ordinance ironed out," he said. "We’re working on this guidebook too."
Kathy Morolda
Cranbury
Business Association
Kathy Morolda, president of the Cranbury Business and Professional Association, said the group would continue to strengthen relationships with its existing membership while striving to add any new businesses that come to town in the future.
Ms. Morolda said the group plans to have earlier meeting times this year to accommodate members.
"We really need to get the downtown more involved and increase membership," she said. "We really have to try to be more involved with the residents and the town as a whole."
Ms. Morolda said 2003 was tough year for all small businesses, partly because of the snowy weather that kept people inside, and doing their holiday shopping online.
"I think we can rebound," she said.
Ms. Morolda, owner of Cranbury Station Gallery, operates with the axiom that business is about relationships, no matter the size. She said it’s important to nurture and cater to customers so they keep coming back. That’s how businesses thrive.
"Small businesses have to realize it’s going to take time, but they have to get involved in the community," she said. "My wish would be that every business in Cranbury could get involved in the CBPA. I’m pretty optimistic. We rely on really getting to know our neighbors and letting them know we’re here and that we’re healthy and we’re here to serve them. I think we can make it because it is a growing area."
Betty Wagner
Cranbury
Historical Society
Township Historian Betty Wagner said the Historical and Preservation Society is coming off "a year for all years" with the biennial Cranbury House Tour and 225th Anniversary of the Battle of Monmouth, which involved the entire community and, in some cases, residents statewide.
In 2004, the group hopes to get the same participation at its June 19 conference with The League of Historical Societies of New Jersey, which will include programs and tours of Cranbury’s village.
"We look forward to welcoming this statewide organization to our historic Cranbury," Ms. Wagner said.
In the mean time, the society will continue to educate residents on Cranbury’s historic significance and serve as an available source for historical information.
"We will continue to protect Cranbury’s historic significance and assets through its museum and history center," Ms. Wagner said. "The society affords the community and others the opportunity to learn about the town’s history and also provides exhibits and programs in town and school programs through the year."
Jon Goldstein
Cranbury Lions Club
Jon Goldstein, press officer for the Cranbury Lions Club, said the group would continue its strong community involvement while taking on a few new projects for 2004.
He said the Lions would continue to review students for its scholarship programs. In 2003, the Lions issued one loan, one award and two new scholarships to Cranbury students. Students applied for the Lions Club School Loan and the Dr. David C. Tudor and Todd M. Beamer memorial scholarships. To win the Stan Thomas Community Service Award, the Lions had to nominate a student. In total, these gifts were worth $4,250.
Mr. Goldstein said the Lions also would like to build and install a historical memorabilia display case in the Cranbury Public Library and increase membership.
Mr. Goldstein said the Lions also plan to work with the township on renovating one of three historic barns located next to the Updike property on Old Trenton Road.
In September, Township Committee members said they wanted to preserve all three barns on the tract. Ray Dickey of the Cranbury Lions Club had said the club might pay for refurbishing one of those barns. The Lions would use it for storage.