A YEAR IN REVIEW
By: Jake Uitti
ROCKY HILL For such a small town, Rocky Hill made some very big headlines this year.
Perhaps most notable is the dramatic change in the makeup of the Borough Council compared to what it was just a year ago.
On Nov. 7, borough residents voted in a slate headed by councilman Ed Zimmerman.
Mr. Zimmerman, who will take over as mayor in the new year, will be joined by running mates Bill Hallman and Dan Harrington. The three defeated a slate headed by Councilman Brad Merritt, the mayoral candidate, and Councilwoman Eileen Uhrik and Mary Regan-Seither.
After his unsuccessful bid for mayor, Mr. Merritt resigned his seat on council. To fill the vacancy, the council selected Courtney White, who will be the only female council member in 2007.
The new council will have a full agenda in 2007, with several major projects facing the borough.
Perhaps the biggest challenge borough officials will take up is the controversial Wawa application in neighboring Montgomery Township.
The company is seeking to move its convenience store at the intersection of Route 206 and 518 about 550 feet east toward Rocky Hill to the former Princeton GammaTech property and add a 12-bay gas station. The project is strongly opposed in Rocky Hill, primarily because of its proximity to the borough’s municipal well.
Borough officials have been actively fighting the application, saying a 12-bay gas station could pollute their well water. Mayor George Morren, along with Mr. Zimmerman and Councilman Brian Griner, contacted Montgomery officials regarding their concerns and in February, a citizens’ group was formed by borough residents, including Ms. White, to oppose the project.
Another project that continues to spark controversy is the Pulte/Schafer development.
On June 29, the borough Planning Board approved the application for 34 age-restricted, single-family homes in 17 duplex-style buildings to be built on the former Schafer tract off Princeton Avenue.
The approval was criticized by residents who contended the buildings were out of scale with the borough’s architecture and the borough’s historic district. Former Planning Board Chairwoman Susan Bristol was among the outspoken residents.
Ms. Bristol and several other residents formed the Rocky Hill Citizens for Responsible Growth, a citizens’ group opposed to the project. On Oct. 27, the group filed an appeal of the approval in state Superior Court in the hope of stopping or altering the scale of the project.
Along with these development projects, concern has also been raised about public safety in the borough.
In May, a year-long renewal of the police service agreement between the borough and the South Bound Brook Police Department was unanimously approved by the Borough Council. The approval came despite an emotional plea by Princeton resident Ronnie Davidson not to renew the pact. Ms. Davidson claimed that a South Bound Brook officer was negligent in his responsibilities, not coming to the aid of her husband who was carjacked in Franklin Township near the border with Rocky Hill.
South Bound Brook police are responsible for 50 hours of service in the borough per month, plus an additional 50 hours during the year for special details. South Bound Brook is mainly responsible for traffic enforcement.
In addition, State Police coverage in the borough has increased, with a new substation installed in Borough Hall.
Mr. Zimmerman complimented outgoing Mayor Morren a former councilman who was appointed in December 2005 to fill the unexpired term of Mayor Brian Nolan, who resigned for his management of borough affairs.
"I think George did an excellent job," he said. "There was a lot on the table with Wawa and Pulte, in addition to the issues with South Bound Brook. Moving forward, we still have issues with the Pulte lawsuit. We also have to watch our spending."
Borough residents will be glad to know, however, that not everything in Rocky Hill is so controversial.
On Dec. 16, officials from Rocky Hill and Montgomery held a ribbon-cutting ceremony welcoming the public to the newly opened Van Horne Park, a $2 million, 95-acre facility containing pathways, ball fields and playground equipment. The borough and Montgomery split the costs of the park 20 percent and 80 percent, respectively.
When people are finished in the park, they can take a walk to Washington Street to the newly opened One53 restaurant, owned and operated by borough residents Caron Wendell and Joe McLaughlin, who also run Lucy’s Ravioli Kitchen on Route 206.
"Next year is going to be interesting," Mr. Zimmerman said. "The council has pretty much turned over. It is a change and change can be hard, but I think we have a really good council in place and I think we’ll be able to get a lot done next year."

