Mayor: railroad track removal is key to Rt. 130 expansion

Fried addresses Mercer County Chamber of Commerce breakfast (April 6)

By: Purvi Desai
   WASHINGTON — Mayor Dave Fried said Monday he is working hard to make Route 130’s expansion into a reality so Washington Township can reap its potential business rewards.
   At a "breakfast with the mayor" meeting Monday morning by the Mercer County Chamber of Commerce, Mayor Fried said economic development is a priority, and the railroad track running along the south side of Route 130 in Washington, which hasn’t been used in more than 10 years, will be condemned allowing for expansion of the road.
   Michele Siekerka, Mercer Regional Chamber of Commerce president and CEO, said the breakfast kicked off a series of events being held by the chamber to promote business awareness along the Route 130 corridor.
   "We’re doing this because we try to provide resources for our members," she said, adding the mayor of East Windsor, Janice Mironov, will be speaking at a luncheon Tuesday and a business-to-business fair will take place Wednesday at Angeloni’s Cedar Gardens in Hamilton.
   Mayor Fried explained to the packed audience his plans for restructuring Route 130 and addressing other issues in his township.
   "When you declare an area of redevelopment, it gives the town a significant amount of condemnation powers," Mayor Fried said. "We’re talking possibly about getting rid of the railroad tracks on Route 130 on the south side."
   He said property owners along the affected region of Route 130 will be consulted for their ideas on restructuring their properties.
   "We are taking a cohesive approach to Route 130," Mayor Fried said. "We have a vision, want to keep it affordable and want to keep our (township’s) character. We don’t want to look like our neighbors."
   "Residents in East Windsor have been complaining about mosquitoes as the railroad is not maintaining that line and pools of water keep forming," he said. "If we took over, we would be responsible for its maintenance. We’d probably just yank the tracks off."
   Mayor Fried said redevelopment could start as soon as the end of this year.
   "I would hope to have an area of redevelopment on the agenda this month or next month," he said.
   Addressing other issues, Mayor Fried said the township will probably continue to rent out the 86-year-old township municipal building, which had been closed due to a mold outbreak there. He said renovation or rebuilding will cost more than what is currently affordable by the township.
   "It may be better to rent until we can get our debt into a better position," he said, adding that the township’s debt currently stands at $90 million.
   The $90 million is accumulated long-term tax debt, which Mayor Fried said he is trying to restructure in order to save the township $2 million over the next three years.
   Another monetary cutback would occur in retirement benefits for municipal employees, he said.
   Currently, employees who have worked more than 25 years receive lifetime health insurance, Mayor Fried said, adding new hires will not receive this benefit.
   Unfortunately, insurance costs have risen by 10 percent, he said, while the township is allowed to increase its allocation toward paying those costs by a meager 3.5 percent.
   "It creates a strain on the township budget per individual," he said.
   There are currently 14 employees qualifying for this benefit, which costs about $15,000 per person and $190,000 total on average.