Montgomery planners pave way for a loop road

Board approves medical office building near intersection of Route 206 and Cherry Valley Road.

By: Kara Fitzpatrick
   MONTGOMERY — The Planning Board on Monday approved the construction of a medical office building that is expected to lead to construction of a loop road that township officials believe will ease traffic congestion at a key Route 206 intersection.
   The 35,200-square-foot building, proposed by North Princeton Professional Center LLC, will be built on a 14-acre tract just west of the intersection of Cherry Valley Road and Route 206.
   The company will be responsible for building a 900-foot segment of the Master Plan loop through its property. The road will run behind the Nassau-Conover auto dealership.
   The township is in talks with Public Service Electric & Gas Co. on the purchase of another 300 feet of right-of-way on company property that would complete the loop road.
   The loop road, Planning Board Chairman Steven Sacks-Wilner said, is designed to take a left turn out of the intersection of Route 206 and Cherry Valley Road for southbound Route 206 traffic. Traffic would turn right onto the loop road, left on Cherry Valley Road and then go straight through the Cherry Valley Road intersection with Route 206.
   "It will allow traffic to get through that intersection much more quickly during peak hours," Mr. Sacks-Wilner said.
   The loop road, Mayor Louise Wilson said, is intended to give drivers choices on how to get to their destinations.
   If PSE&G is not willing to give up the land for the loop road, the township would be able to legally acquire it by eminent domain, Mr. Sacks-Wilner said.
   Representatives of PSE&G were present during the Monday meeting and voiced opposition to the medical building.
   PSE&G has plans to build a 70,000-square-foot substation and, according to representatives, the loop road as it is currently planned could impede its construction.
   "PSE&G has specific objections as it relates to design and placement of the access road," Susan Matulewicz said on behalf of PSE&G. "PSE&G believes that final approval of the applicant’s site plan is premature," she said.
   PSE&G representatives maintained that the loop road would benefit North Princeton Professional Center but be a disadvantage to the construction of the PSE&G substation.
   But William Kearns, Planning Board attorney, said the plan to construct the loop road was "on the books … long before this applicant came forward."
   After dialogue with Mr. Sacks-Wilner and other board members, the PSE&G representatives eased their opposition and agreed to further discuss the issue of the township right-of-way for the loop road.
   Following the meeting, Mr. Sacks-Wilner said he is confident the issues will be worked out between the township and PSE&G and that a plan can be worked out suitable to both parties.
   The township Master Plan also includes a shorter loop road that would connect Princeton Avenue westbound with Route 206 behind the Sunoco gasoline station.
   Representatives of the medical building did not say when construction will begin.
   There were no comments from members of the public on the application.