West Windsor housing advocate Joseph Dantone to be honored

By: Emily Craighead
   WEST WINDSOR — A ribbon-cutting ceremony at 11 a.m. June 3 will honor Joseph Dantone at Dantone Boulevard and Old Trenton Road, the entrance to the Renaissance at West Windsor senior housing development.
   Mr. Dantone, an outspoken supporter of rezoning the former Baker Farm and building age-restricted senior housing on the property, died in 2003, days before the township approved a new retirement community zone for the farm.
   A proposal to build homes at the 157-acre farm underwent many modifications as the Planning Board and developer Centex Homes negotiated. What was once a plan to construct 32 single-family houses was transformed into a 156-unit senior-housing development known as Renaissance at West Windsor.
   "Joe was a dedicated individual who felt very strongly in his beliefs and was a great advocate for lower property taxes, especially as it affects active adults — many of whom are forced to live on fixed incomes," Planning Board Chairman Marvin Gardner said.
   As the first president of the Village Grande Civic Association, Mr. Dantone regularly attended municipal meetings and pushed the township to support additional senior housing in the community as a way to help lessen the burden of ever-increasing property taxes.
   Seventy percent of the total property at Renaissance at West Windsor has been set aside for open-space preservation. Part of the open space will be given to the development’s homeowners’ association, while most will be deeded over to the township. There are already trails, along with a greenbelt area on the property, that the township has sought to preserve for years.
   Centex also agreed to contribute $1,000 for every market-rate unit built toward the nature center — a total of $150,000.