West Windsor’s mayor puts focus on building community

Shing-Fu Hsueh outlines vision for township during annual state of the township address.

By: Jill Matthews
   WEST WINDSOR — In front of a crowded room in the municipal building, Mayor Shing-Fu Hsueh outlined his vision for building and strengthening a sense of community and identity for the township — while extolling the township’s 2004 accomplishments — in his annual state of the township address Monday.
   An annual state of the township address is required by law.
   The mayor, who is up for re-election this year, touched on the township’s past, present and future as important pieces in making West Windsor a better place in which to live and work.
   "My vision and hope is for all of us to feel an even clearer sense of community," Mayor Hsueh said, "for West Windsor to be a place we can all enthusiastically call home — a chosen destination, not just a bus stop for public education."
   Mayor Hsueh called the redevelopment of the train station area, a project that the township currently is reviewing, critical to the future of West Windsor. He also cited improvements of recreational opportunities — including the construction of Duck Pond Park, the creation of hiking trails and a boat launch in the Millstone Road area — and the construction of a skateboard park, as part of his vision of improving residents’ quality of life. He also mentioned the possible expansion of the current senior center and the possible development of a township museum to preserve local historical and natural resources as part of his vision for building a strong sense of community in the township.
   "Part of what sets West Windsor apart from its neighboring communities is our ability to establish a balance between the steady development of a suburban, business-friendly economy while maintaining the rural, residential characteristics of our agricultural traditions," Mayor Hsueh said. "We have a growing township, including many subdivisions and commercial districts. Our challenge has been to integrate all of these together as a community."
   Several new and continuing programs, such as newly established community programs like the farmer’s market, the Bike Fest and the Harvest Festival, along with arts and cultural activities, pedestrian and bicycle links and sporting events, help strengthen residents’ connection to West Windsor, Mayor Hsueh said. The Princeton Junction train station as well as an excellent public school system continue to make the township a desirable location, he added.
   The mayor also paid tribute to the township’s past, which, he said, "reflects a rich culture, history and diversity" and also rattled off a long list of accomplishments and events that occurred in the township in 2004. Some of these included traffic and transportation developments, such as the upcoming construction of the Alexander Road Northeast Corridor bridge, a Roadway Improvement Program, a state-funded Bus Rapid Transit study, a bicycle- and pedestrian-friendly study plan, a Route 571 study, and the construction of bike and pedestrian pathways on Public Service Electric & Gas Co. lands. Other accomplishments include improvements to Grovers Mill dam and pond and the settlement of all land-use related litigation.
   "Our history, our present needs and our future vision — all of these are important for making our home of West Windsor a better place," Mayor Hsueh, said.
   Council members, following the mayor’s speech, said they were proud of the past year’s accomplishments and looked forward to more accomplishments this year. They thanked volunteers and staff for their hard work.
   Mayor Hsueh said a town hall meeting with a question-and-answer session will be held 10 a.m. Saturday at the municipal building.