Want further study on impact Route 92 would have on towns west of Route 1
By Aleen Crispino
Hopewell Borough Council voted 4-1 Monday to adopt a resolution opposing the construction of Route 92 and rejecting the findings of the final Route 92 Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) released by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Borough Council President David Knights cast the lone dissenting vote and Councilman Mark Samse abstained.
"I am strongly in favor of the passage of this resolution," Mayor David Nettles told council before the vote. "The studies that have been done in no way take into account the traffic west of Route 1."
The New Jersey Turnpike Authority plans to construct a 6.7-mile, east-west, limited-access highway, connecting U.S. Route 1 at Ridge Road in South Brunswick Township with U.S. Route 130 and the New Jersey Turnpike at Exit 8A.
The resolution says the Borough of Hopewell "does hereby urge the United States Army Corps of Engineers to suspend action on all permitting requests relating to the Route 92 project until alternatives, such as the widening of US Route 1, be fully examined and analyzed."
Hopewell, Montgomery and East Amwell townships, which, like Hopewell Borough, lie west of U.S. Route 1, all oppose the Route 92 project, said Mayor Nettles.
"I totally disagree," said Councilman Knights. "Even South Brunswick is softening its stance.
"I don’t believe it will have any impact on Hopewell Borough," said Councilman Knights. "If you look at the map, the only east-west connection is I-195, until you go up to Route 18," and the proposed Route 92 will relieve traffic on all the roads in between, said Councilman Knights.
Councilmen Paul Anzano and David Mackie supported the resolution based on what they said was the need for further study on the impact Route 92 would have on towns west of Route 1.
The construction of Route 92 would involve filling in 12.03 acres of wetlands and open water and compensating for that by establishing 56 acres of wetlands and 0.85 acres of open water north and south of the proposed Route 92 alignment east of Haypress Road in South Brunswick Township, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Web site.
IN OTHER BUSINESS:
Council voted 6-0 to reappoint Michele Hovan to a second three-year term as borough administrator/clerk. "I think Michele has been great," said Councilman Anzano, calling Ms. Hovan "courteous and informed."
"I second that," said Mayor Nettles.
Councilman Mackie reported that he and Councilman Robert Lewis, Councilman Schuyler Morehouse, and Ms. Hovan had met with residents of Somerset Street on Oct. 7 outside their homes to discuss issues raised by the vapor intrusion and groundwater contamination caused by trichloroethylene, an industrial degreaser, and the remediation needed in houses on Somerset and Lafayette streets.
The contamination has been determined by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) to have been caused by Rockwell Automation of Milwaukee, Wis., which operated a manufacturing plant at 57 Hamilton Ave. from the early 1900s until 1975, when Kooltronic took over the site. Kooltronic has since moved to Hopewell Township and has not been implicated by the NJDEP in the contamination.
Mr. Mackie updated council on efforts at remediation by BBL Environmental Services of Cranbury.
"BBL installed approximately 16 temporary monitoring wells" and will "look at those results to define their one part per million contour line," said Councilman Mackie, estimating that results of the testing would be obtained by the end of the year. One part per million is the highest groundwater concentration of trichloroethylene deemed safe by the NJDEP.
Borough officials have been encouraging the environmental engineering firm hired by Rockwell to expedite defining the area of contamination and its remediation to limit the effect on property values in the borough.
Borough official also held an informal meeting "with various people in the real estate community" to discuss "handling of disclosure requirements" and also updating them on "which properties have a problem and which do not," said Councilman Mackie, adding that future meetings with area real estate agents were planned.
JoAnne Stransky, of East Prospect Street, presented council with a petition signed by 17 residents of East Prospect and East Broad streets and Columbia Avenue, protesting the location of "several huge trailers on the front lawn of 88 E. Prospect St., Hopewell."
"We’re working on this," said Mayor Nettles. "The property owner was notified in August to remove the trailers. One has been removed; three remain. They were granted a one-month extension."
Ms. Hovan added: "The one month has elapsed and (Zoning Officer) Harry (Agin) has been notified and he is working on it."
Mr. Agin visited the residence last week and planned to return yesterday, said Ms. Hovan on Tuesday. Ms. Hovan said Tuesday she had not yet received a report from Mr. Agin due to the closing of municipal offices for Election Day. As of Wednesday, Ms. Hovan had not received the report.
The petition does not name the property owners, but the address is registered on the tax rolls to Gerard and Hilary McAlinden, said Ms. Hovan. A woman who answered the phone at the McAlinden residence Tuesday said, "It’s been handled," but declined further comment.
The neighbors’ petition also protests the location of a flatbed trailer on Elm Street on property that, according to Councilman Knights, also is owned by the McAlinden family.
Council introduced an ordinance, by a vote of 6-0, which would prohibit parking on the west side of Elm Street, from Broad Street south to East Prospect Street. There will be a public hearing to discuss the ordinance, followed by a final vote, at the next Borough Council meeting at 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 4.
Mayor Nettles issued a proclamation joining the Zonta Club of Trenton/Mercer in support of "16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence," an international campaign begun by the Center for Women’s Global Leadership in 1991, which will begin on Nov. 25 with the International Day Against Violence Against Women and end on Dec. 10, International Human Rights Day.
The campaign is an effort "to symbolically link violence against women and human rights," said Susan Barosko, second vice president of the Zonta Club, in a letter to municipal officials requesting support.
The Zonta Club is an international service organization of professionals and executives who work to "improve the legal, political, economic, health, educational and professional status of women," according to the club’s Web site.

