More hurdles still face plan to open eatery in Carter Road farmhouse in Hopewell Township.
By: Gwen McNamara
The owners of the Main Street Euro-American Bistro & Bar in the Princeton Shopping Center are one step closer to turning a Hopewell Township farmhouse into a first-class restaurant.
Last week, Mercer County Superior Court Judge Linda Feinberg upheld a use variance granted to Main Street by the Hopewell Township Zoning Board of Adjustment in November of last year. The variance gave Main Street the go ahead to convert a more than 25,000-square-foot turn-of-the-century farmhouse on Carter Road into a formal dining restaurant, ballroom and catering facility.
"I’m relieved to know that the legal system really works," said John Marshall, Main Street co-owner. "Having received three unanimous board approvals across seven hearings with literally hundreds of supporters present, I was shocked when this suit was filed."
Hopewell residents Ted Petrie and Robert Kraeger filed suit in January. Mr. Kraeger later bowed out of the suit, which challenged the variance on several grounds including that Main Street did not meet the criteria needed for the variance and that the township zoning board failed to establish whether the project would promote general welfare, or whether the site was suitable for the restaurant.
In her Oct. 4 ruling, Judge Feinberg dismissed all of the suit’s claims.
"This court is satisfied that the board acted properly in granting the use variance," she wrote. "… There is no evidence to support the notion that the project will have a substantial detriment to the public good or to the intent and purpose of the zoning plan … (and) the applicant has more than adequately met the enhanced quality of proof required for the issuance of a use variance."
Main Street needed the variance because restaurant operation was limited under the existing research and office zoning of the former Lucent Technologies site to serve just workers, as opposed to the general public.
Moving forward, Mr. Marshall and his mother, Sue Simpkins, the other Main Street co-owner, are taking a cautious yet optimistic approach to the farmhouse project.
"This has been a dream of my son for so many years," Ms. Simpkins said. "This ruling puts us one step closer, but we still have many hurdles to overcome."
For instance, it is unclear whether Mr. Petrie plans to appeal the ruling. He said Monday, "It’s premature to comment at this time."
In addition, ownership of the farmhouse and the surrounding 355-acre technology campus has changed hands. Berwind Property Group purchased the three-building Technology Center at Princeton, covering 330 and 350 Carter Road, from Townsend Capital in June.
Prior to the transaction, Mr. Marshall had a long-negotiated verbal agreement to purchase the farmhouse from Townsend.
"Before Berwind came in it was a ghost town out there," Mr. Marshall said. "Berwind is exciting and we like what they bring to the site. We just hope they like what we could bring as well. We believe it would be a stupendous marriage of the public and private sectors."
Mr. Marshall said he has been in communication with Berwind and noted if he had a purchase agreement in hand, Main Street could have the farmhouse restaurant open as early as January 2006.
Christopher Locatell, vice president of Berwind Property Group, said his company had no comment on Judge Feinberg’s ruling or negotiations with Main Street.