WW council passes set of redevelopment project principles

Proposal for a ‘contract’ by Councilman Charles Morgan rejected

By: Greg Forester
   WEST WINDSOR — Township Council passed its principles resolution for the ongoing redevelopment project last week, but only after a principle included in the document was removed and put off for discussion at a later date.
   Council members and the mayor objected to the portion of the document that spoke of a "contract," created between the community and government officials and designed to ensure accountability and enhance trust between the two groups.
   The portion of the resolution that was approved outlined the overriding principles that Township Council felt were appropriate for the project, providing a strategic vision for the planning of the 350-acre redevelopment area around the Princeton Junction train station.
   Councilman Charles Morgan said the resolution should include some sort of guarantee that would shore up the community’s trust in their government while ensuring the government would adhere to the wishes of the community.
   "All I am suggesting is that the community can’t trust us, and I agree that they can’t and we need to make a commitment that we’re going to do what the community wants," said Councilman Charles Morgan, the author of the item.
   But some of the other council members said they felt there was no need to include such language in the principles resolution because the community should trust the government to make the right decisions about redevelopment.
   "Our job is to make decisions, and we base that on feedback and input from our community, without the use of contracts," Councilwoman Linda Geevers said.
   Mr. Morgan’s proposed contract, signed by the mayor and council, would also include the signature of an elected municipal committee member of each West Windsor voting district. Ms. Geevers said she also did not like the use of municipal committee members as the representatives of the community because it would bring unwanted partisanship into a nonpartisan process within a nonpartisan government.
   "You can’t equate these municipal committee people with elected representatives signing a contract on behalf of residents," Ms. Geevers said.
   Mayor Shing-Fu Hsueh echoed Ms. Geevers’ sentiments, saying using the municipal committees as community representatives within any contract with the township would bring unnecessary partisanship to the process.
   Mayor Hsueh also said he thought the language in the principle proposed by Mr. Morgan created confusion over exactly who the contract was with.
   "The principles said the contract would be with ‘West Windsor’ and I don’t know who that is within the context of this principle," said Mayor Hsueh. "As the mayor I represent West Windsor, and so do the members of the council, so I don’t know exactly what this really means."
   Township Attorney Michael Herbert recommended the council remove the clause from the resolution before passing it, pointing out the murky nature of exactly who the contract would be between in West Windsor.
   "I have never seen something like this before, and I don’t know how it could be enforceable," said Mr. Herbert. "My understanding is that when you say ‘West Windsor’ in a contract, it really means the mayor and the council."
   Mr. Herbert also said the contract would also create restrictions and reduce the council’s options in the future of the redevelopment project.
   "My understanding was the council was interested in keeping an open mind throughout this process," Mr. Herbert said.
   Mr. Morgan, who recently sought to oust Mr. Herbert as township attorney, said Mr. Herbert was getting involved in West Windsor politics.
   "Here again you had the attorney weighing on something that is a political issue," Mr. Morgan said.
   Council President Will Anklowitz said he also had some problems with the inclusion of Mr. Morgan’s contract item because of the item’s potential to create unrealistic expectations in the minds of the community if it was undertaken.
   "My biggest concern with it is that it would create unrealistic expectations for the community about where we’re going, and it really wouldn’t move the process forward," said Mr. Anklowitz. "I reflect on Newt Gingrich’s Contract with America that created expectations that just couldn’t be fulfilled."
   Despite being shelved at last week’s council meeting, the contract clause could come up again at a future council meeting for further discussion, according to officials.
   Some of the principles included in the resolution specify that the project should:• be a tax positive;
   • be scaled to be consistent with residents’ desires;
   • have affordable housing that is visually and geographically integrated with the rest of the housing;
   • address traffic congestion, Vaughn Drive connector, and traffic-calming features;
   • preserve, if not strengthen neighborhoods within West Windsor;
   • provide more parking for residents;
   • preserve open space;
   • remediate contaminated sites within the redevelopment zone;
   • have a size, scale and design consonant with West Windsor Township;
   • create iconic and active public places;
   • strive to include input from key stakeholders;
   • strive to mitigate effects on the school district; and
   • use an open and transparent process.