After a month’s hiatus, panel seeks to hammer out an agenda and meeting dates
By: Greg Forester
WEST WINDSOR After a month of little or no activity, the wheels of redevelopment for the area around the Princeton Junction train station are moving again in West Windsor.
The steering committee for the project will be meeting today with the objective of coming up with an agenda and preliminary dates for the next joint Planning Board and Township Council meeting, and Township Council is actively considering a survey of township residents to be undertaken sometime in the future.
"The next thing that has to happen is the joint meeting, and hopefully we’ll soon work out the place and date for that," said Council President Will Anklowitz. "We want to work out how the survey will be done, so we can find out the public consensus on everything," he said of a public opinion poll of township residents on the redevelopment issue.
Mayor Shing-Fu Hsueh has been a supporter for the redevelopment from the beginning, saying the process will give the township greater leverage in working with developers coming wishing to build in the designated area.
The mayor said he was pleased with the redevelopment discussion at Monday’s Township Council meeting that moved to have the Steering Committee work on the future of the project.
"I’m optimistic about the township moving forward with the project, and hopefully after Friday we will have a schedule for the follow-up meeting of the Planning Board and Township Council," said Mayor Hsueh. "Most people seem to agree we should perform a survey after people are more informed about the process after more meetings."
Representatives from RMJM Hillier will also be at the next meeting to answer questions about potential variations in the numbers of residential units and other questions.
"We’re looking forward to the meeting," said RMJM Hillier Senior Associate Bradley Walkers.
Mayor Hsueh said the township had received $30,000 for educational purposes from the state, and this money would be used on meetings and getting more information out to the public.
The mayor said the survey should take place in the fall because many residents are away on vacation during the summer.
Councilman Charles Morgan had originally supported a referendum to gauge the township’s sentiments, but he said Thursday that he now supported the survey idea.
"I committed to a referendum during the campaign, and I must live up to my commitment, but I see the survey as the better answer," said Mr. Morgan.
He said the survey should be created independently by a private firm, so no one could suggest the results were preordained.
Mr. Morgan said he didn’t know where the redevelopment project was headed.
"I do know the community is divided and we need to work to bring the community together," said Mr. Morgan. "I do know, without exception, that the community wants more parking at the train station for residents, and a Main Street area along Route 571."
Mr. Morgan said the township needs to start addressing the parking issues, which would precipitate discussion on traffic circulation and other important issues with redevelopment.
"Traffic circulation is one of the big elephants in the room," said Mr. Morgan, who plans on directing the parking authority to begin examining parking garage issues.
The steering committee will be looking at dates for the follow-up meeting to the last project meeting, which was held June 4, at which RMJM Hillier had presented variations on plans for the redevelopment with reduced numbers of housing units.
Hillier’s original plan for the project included 1,000 residential units, a proposal that generated controversy in the community and became a campaign issue for the three victorious Township Council candidates in the May election.
When RMJM Hillier came back for the June 4 meeting, variations on the numbers of residential units were presented, along with changes to the plan based on input from residents at earlier workshops.
Despite the variations, Hillier Chairman J. Robert Hillier said he would be most comfortable with at least 750 units, if not the original number of 1,000.
Mr. Hillier presented the economic scenarios for the township with the changes in the housing numbers, although some residents and government officials were doubtful of the assumptions on which the numbers were based.
West Windsor officials hope to solicit follow-up questions to information presented at the June 4 meeting, now over a month old.
A meeting to be held in the weeks following the June 4 meeting was canceled by Township Council, and the future of the project was in doubt following comments from Mr. Hillier about withdrawing from the project.
Landowner Steve Goldin, who owns some properties within the redevelopment area even suggested restarting the public workshop process, offering $1.5 million to the township to do so.
Township officials said Mr. Goldin was free to do what he wished with his property, but any redevelopment work would have to take part within the current process being undertaken with RMJM Hillier.
During the lull after the June 4 meeting, numerous residents had asked questions about some of the economic assumptions made by professionals from Economic Research Associates and other firms that had presented information.
Resident David Siegel of Berrien Avenue had even presented a point by point report on the flaws he said he saw in some of the material presented at the June 4 meeting.
West Windsor officials hope these questions and others can be addressed at the next meeting date once it is selected by the steering committee.

