LETTERS TO THE EDITOR, March 27
The WW charrette is a masquerade
To the editor:
In yet another frustratingly familiar framing of a political debate (this one on the local level rather than the national level), it appears West Windsor residents must assume the responsibility of the region’s transit problems.
Over the last six years, the frequently repeated statement that "no matter what we do, development is coming" by Mayor Hsueh is unfounded. In fact, under current zoning (which does not allow housing) in the redevelopment area, it’s just plain false.
At public meetings leading up to the choosing of a planner for the transit village, supporters spoke of how the mayor’s election was a "mandate" for his agenda. And that agenda has diverted our attention from building a desirable town center to his "vision" of West Windsor becoming a regional transit village. However, establishing us as a regional transit village will forever brand our identity as nothing more than a massive train station!
There is intense competition for transit village grants. In the last eight years state DOT has designated 19 transit villages around NJ Transit rail and bus stations to promote "smart growth". Since the state provides no money beyond the initial $100,000 grant for planning, these concentrations of housing and retail within the transit village designations must look to limited federal money. That leaves townships to leverage their transit village designations toward private development investment, potentially weakening a township’s control over developers.
West Windsor has a legal history and a standing political position of limiting housing growth and staving off urban development as in the Toll Brothers case. Longtime residents recall agreements reached to preserve farmland, expand open space, and retain its suburban identity. Consultant John Madden has designed and redesigned a village/town center repeatedly along Route 571 as each new administration purged the last administration’s plan from memories.
In 2005 Mayor Hsueh requisitioned an extensive study to create a West Windsor Princeton Junction Area Vision Plan using a $25,000 grant from the NJ Office of Smart Growth. This collaboration of NJ Transit, NJ Office of Smart Growth, West Windsor, and input from West Windsor residents produced a workable plan with less than 800 residential units (at the time, residents felt 800 units was too high). Residents breathed a collective sigh of relief, believing we finally put the train station issue to rest, only to find this exhaustive exercise was a priming for what followed.
In 2006 the designation of a "redevelopment area" around the train station was raised to the astonishment and confusion of the residents and some of the landowners within the redevelopment area. When asked recently about the difference between the new transit village area included within the redevelopment area and the one outlined in the 2005 study, Hsueh replied, "the new area includes the Sarnoff property." Indeed, not only does the redevelopment area include more property, it removes previous designations: Zoning for research, office and manufacturing (a good ratable source); Sarnoff’s previously limited FAR (the density they are allowed); and the residents’ voice on future taxation in the form of a bond referendum.
Now in 2007, with the May elections for council seats looming, fearthat West Windsor residents may get all the information and have the time to think about what this transit village really meanshas begun to hurry this process to meet a political deadline. The discussion process, masquerading as a charrette, skipped directly to "what type of person would we attract into one of the 1000+ proposed four story apartments" rather than "do we want a transit village or simply a town center."
The haste with which this process is moving and the scarcity of facts only draws suspicion. If this really is "an open process," it needs the clarity that realistic data, consistent updates, truthful dialogue, and answers to basic questions can bring (such as real parking and rider data, Website drawing updates, financial viability of the minimum built, Schlumberger property, substation relocation money, the list goes on).
John Koran
Scott Avenue
West Windsor
School fees are not the solution
To the editor:
As most people who care to follow the annual school budget process know by now, the State of New Jersey imposes a 4 percent annual cap on school funding increases that can be covered by tax levies. The result is that Montgomery’s 2007-2008 budget reflecting a 5.10 percent increase (as of 3/8/07) requires additional funding to bridge a seven-figure gap.
The issue for many school parents today is the proposal to raise approximately $175,000 through activity fees. The fee’s name and amount have changed and may change again based upon the directive from the Somerset County superintendent.
I believe this fee is a bad idea on several fronts. First, activities ranging from music to athletics are an integral part of a child’s education. Where do we draw the line on what is covered by a public education? This year it is an activity fee, what will it be next year? This is a slippery slope to navigate.
That raises my second objection. This is not a one-year problem. Next year we will surely have another budget gap as health care, compensation, energy and other school operating costs grow in excess of 4 percent per year. The Board of Education will then be forced to look under more rocks. This is not a sustainable process.
The only way to address the limitations imposed by Trenton, keep property taxes in control and provide the education that parents in our town demand is through a comprehensive re-evaluation of the annual school budget process.
As with many businesses, each year the school budget should be a zero-based budget. Each expense line item of the budget should be under review to prove its validity and need for another year. Each department head, coach, etc. should need to defend their requested budget.
The starting point for the budget should not be the prior year’s budget, but zero and built from there. Do our sports teams need practice uniforms? Can we save costs by outsourcing some non-academic services? Why are we spending $300,000-plus in legal fees? Why is worker’s compensation insurance increasing by 27 percent when payroll is increasing by 5 percent?
To be sure, our current BOE works hard to balance fiscal responsibility with providing what I feel is the best public education in the NJ, but we must be even more vigilant when it comes to managing a $73 million budget. The issue is not just a $175,000 activity fee today, but creating a system that allows us to offer the best education within the 4 percent annual limitations. If the managers of most businesses had a guaranteed 4 percentbudget increase every year they would sleep better at night. We can certainly deliver a great education within those same boundaries.
Matthew Galvin
Boulder Brook Court
Montgomery
People in Darfur must be saved
To the editor:
People being torn away from their families. People suffering. People dying. Genocide in Darfur can not go on any longer.
In Sudan there is a city called Darfur. Since 2003 there has been a war between the government and the Black Africans. It started because the government wanted to stop rebels but, the government is racist. The government does not like the black Africans so they are taking them away from their homes. About four hundred thousand people have been killed so far.
Everyone should work to save Darfur. Adolph Hitler killed millions of people in the Holocaust as for why, there was no reason. He was insane. If we do not do anything this may be as bad as the Holocaust. The government is killing these people for no reason.
It is very important to stop what is going on. Would you not care if someone dragged you out of your house? If you did not know if you would ever see your family again because you or they could be killed? This is what is happening to millions of innocent people who did not do anything wrong or commit a crime. It is not right to do anything bad to these people because of their beliefs, race, religion or color.
I think the reason so few people are doing anything is because most people have no idea this is going on.
You should inform everyone about the genocide in Darfur. To help, go to www.savedarfur.org.
The reason I am writing about this is because I would not want people doing this to me. We once said "never again" after the Holocaust, but it is happening again. So I am going to do everything in my power to save the people of Darfur. I do not want it to be as bad as the Holocaust. Genocide in Darfur must be stopped. I am willing to help, are you?
Carly Bloom, age 12
Providence Drive
West Windsor
Solve Princeton’s deer problem
To the editor:
I was so sorry to read that Princeton Township’s experiment to control our deer population with contraceptives failed this year because something was wrong with the medicine. I do hope this nonviolent solution may yet make our roads safer and stop the slaughter of innocents that is the current "net and bolt" program.
The children are watching. Globally and locally, hope is in the air that responsible adults will enlist powerful nonviolent means to end the Iraq war, stop global warming and solve our Princeton deer problem.
Mary Timberlake
John Street
Princeton

