Dining area to reopen in April.
By: Josh Appelbaum
The historic Cranbury Inn began an expansion project Monday that will more than double the restaurant’s size and spruce up the exterior.
Plans call for a 10,261-square-foot addition to the existing 8,648-square-foot two-story frame house. Tom Ingegneri, who owns the inn along with his wife, Gay, said the project will provide room for 400 diners, an increase from the current maximum occupancy of 280.
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County orders tree’s removal A sycamore tree with a 44-inch diameter was removed from the curb of the Cranbury Inn upon directions from the county engineer’s office. The tree, which was on the curb between the inn and South Main Street, had its branches removed Monday and its trunk and a portion of its roots were ripped out of the ground Tuesday morning. The removal of the tree was included in the final site plan for the inn’s expansion, approved by the Zoning Board of Adjustment and Planning Board in 2000, according to planning office records. Assistant County Engineer Richard Wallner said the Middlesex engineer’s office ordered the removal of the tree as part of the county’s approval of the site plan. He said the tree, which was to the left of the driveway, obstructed drivers’ sight lines while making a right turn onto Main Street heading north, exiting the parking lot. Tom Ingegneri, the Cranbury Inn’s co-owner, said he would have liked the sycamore to remain. "I think the county’s concern was that someone would get into an accident on account of it," Mr. Ingegneri said. Judy Dossin of the Parks Planning Commission said her group made a recommendation to the Township Committee in April of 2004 concerning the removal of the tree. She said the county’s ruling to remove the tree undermines Cranbury’s commitment to effective community tree management. Ms. Dossin said the township’s dedication has earned Cranbury the designation as a Tree City, USA 16 years in a row. The program is run by the National Arbor Day Foundation. "The Parks Planning Commission recommended to the Township Committee that they enter into discussions with the county and the owners of the Cranbury Inn to save the tree," Ms. Dossin said. "It doesn’t appear that negotiations went anywhere. It’s sad that we are a Tree City, USA community and the county is cutting down our trees." Ms. Dossin doesn’t think the tree posed a visual hazard for drivers. "From a traffic perspective, you can look behind the tree and there was absolutely no obstruction to the left," Ms. Dossin said. Ms. Dossin said that any solution to the right-of-way problem that involved the removal of the sycamore tree would have been a bad decision. "Nobody considers the fact that when you cut down a tree, you cut down your quality of life," she said. Josh Appelbaum |
The interior will be reconfigured, with refrigeration and storage facilities moved toward the front of the building to allow for a contiguous dining room and banquet hall. The inn also will get a new brick-paver walkway and new landscaping. The parking lot will be expanded to 118 parking spots, according to the site plan.
Prior to the project’s approval by the Zoning Board of Adjustment in July 2000, residents expressed concerns over safety and parking issues given the increased occupancy load.
Approval was granted on several conditions, including a requirement that valet parking be used during functions expected to serve 130 people or if the total number of people expected exceeds 250. The inn also is required to keep the restaurant exclusive to "fine dining," to prohibit bus and product-delivery parking on surrounding streets and to include speed bumps for an expanded access road from the inn to Station Road. The access road will be 24 feet wide with a 6-foot median and several parking spaces on the road. Landscaping, such as bushes and trees, will be used instead of fencing near property lines adjacent to the access road.
The dining room is now closed, but the lounge area and packaged-goods store will remain open during the renovations. Mr. Ingegneri said he expects construction to be completed for a mid-April reopening.
"It’s going to be an historic event when the Cranbury Inn opens back up," Mr. Ingegneri said. "It’s just great that we are able to carry on the tradition of the inn. Gay and I feel like we are stewards of a living museum the inn has been serving meals since 1750."
The Cranbury Inn will expand to handle an increase in banquet business. Mr. Ingegneri estimates the restaurant does between 35 and 40 weddings and other banquets per year. He said he hopes the new banquet facility will entice more people to hold events at the inn.
Mr. Ingegneri said the addition will be built in the style of an 1800s carriage house, with 32-foot ceilings in a timber frame. Mr. Ingegneri said the design, completed by Kilby Management of Jersey City, preserves the historic character of the building while accommodating more customers.
He said that while the project will allow him and his wife to expand the business, their primary interest is to make sure the inn is in good stead for generations to come.
"We want to make sure the inn is set for the next 200 years," Mr. Ingegneri said.
The plans for renovations have been several years in the making, Mr. Ingegneri said.
"In ’97 we received a variance, but it wasn’t until almost 2000 before we got final approval (for the major site plan) it was really frustrating," Mr. Ingegneri said. "After that, it took us a very long time to assemble the right team the right architects, the right contractors, the right financiers and good timing. It’s been a long time coming, but we couldn’t go ahead without knowing the plan was right we did our homework."
Mr. Ingegneri said he and his wife enlisted the Cranbury Historic Preservation Advisory Committee to consult on interior renovations to the restaurant.
"They’ve been very supportive in helping us with advice," Mr. Ingegneri said. "I think they’ll be very pleased with the building and they loved the authenticity of the plan."
More than anything, Mr. Ingegneri said he wants Cranbury residents to enjoy the new inn.
"It’s always been part of our plan to develop something like this," Mr. Ingegneri said. "It’s something that perpetuates the history of the Cranbury Inn and I think once the community sees what we’re trying to do, they’ll be very happy with how it turned out."