Planners’ process could take four or five months, chairman says.
By: Matt Chiappardi
HIGHTSTOWN The Planning Board has begun discussing how to rezone the Minute Maid tract, one of only two significant developable pieces of land in the borough, and the process is expected to take quite some time.
Chairman Steve Misiura estimated that the board’s process, which began Monday night, could take four or five months before any rezoning ordinance is sent to Borough Council for review.
And that doesn’t seem to bother either borough leaders or the developer’s attorney, who both said they are "pleased" with the planned process.
"I’m pleased that people will see a thorough discussion," said Paul Josephson, attorney for the potential developer.
Earlier this summer, the board reviewed a conceptual site plan from the property’s new owners real estate investors and developers Joe Cohen of Edison and Joe Mueller of New York that envisions 246 condominiums and townhouses and 60,515 square feet of retail space on the 16 acres of the 37-acre site that lie in the borough.
The other 21 acres are in East Windsor, where Mayor Janice Mironov has expressed strong displeasure with the developer and a desire for an entirely different plan for the township’s side of the tract.
Since the entire site is zoned industrial, the zoning would have to be changed in both communities for any plan, other than an industrial one, to come to fruition.
The board discussed rezoning not only the Minute Maid site, but also 4 surrounding acres along Mercer Street, to possibly create a secondary area of commercial development in the borough.
Mayor Bob Patten, who sits on the board, suggested the board create a zone tailored to the borough’s needs at the site. This, he said, would be similar to the zoning for the site of the former rug mill, which is classified as "planned economic development."
"The mill was zoned that way, and it was perfect," Mr. Patten said during the meeting, "because it was its own zone and you could do what you want."
The 7-acre former rug mill site on Bank Street is the only other significant piece of developable land in the borough. It’s redevelopment has been languishing for several years, as the borough and potential developer John Wolfington have been unable to come to agreement on a plan. Borough Council President Walter Sikorski says he’s optimistic that Mr. Wolfington, who now owns the land, will be named redeveloper early next month.
How much of a secondary area of commercial development the Minute Maid area might become dominated the discussion, as well as how it would connect to the borough’s downtown business district.
The property and the surrounding 4 acres is separated from the downtown by the Cedar Hill Cemetery. The 4 acres are zoned highway/commercial, which allows larger businesses such as lumberyards, gas stations and auto repair shops to be built there and away from smaller storefronts, according to Borough Planner Tamara Lee.
Mayor Patten said he’d like to see the Minute Maid area integrated into the downtown business district in some way.
"I’m not looking for there to be a separation," he said.
But Mr. Misiura in an exchange with the mayor that was more discussion than debate disagreed.
"When you’re driving into town, once you pass the cemetery, that’s when you’re cognitively in Hightstown," he said.
"Most cities have a central downtown and it all radiates out. With (the mayor’s idea), there wouldn’t be a clear line; there’d be a fuzzier line between Hightstown and somewhere else," he added.
Board member Paul Byrne said what he wants to do is make the area attractive, so shopping and business can thrive.
"We need to spice it up so people will want to walk there," he said.
"Right now it’s not inviting," he added.
Board member Ashley Hutchinson urged the rest of the board to remember the residential component of any proposed change.
"We need to remember that Hightstown is a place where people live," she said. "Maybe we can rezone it in a way that it gradually becomes commercial as we get closer to the highway (Mercer Street/Route 33)."
No conclusion was reached during the initial discussion Monday, except that the area should be zoned for a mix of residential, retail and office uses.
Mr. Misiura said he expects the discussions to continue over the course of at least eight more meetings, with at least one meeting entirely dedicated to comment from the public. After that, he said, the board would send an ordinance to the Borough Council for review.
The Minute Maid plant was the borough’s top tax generator when it closed in November 2003. The land was sold in May 2006 for $8.5 million to its new owners who are hoping to build four structures comprising 235,000 square feet with slightly less than 25 percent earmarked for retail space.
In other business Monday, the board took another step to voice its opposition to details of the proposed Kayamko office park in East Windsor that borders the borough.
Board attorney Gary Rosensweig sent a letter dated Aug. 13 to the Mercer County Planning Board, where the preliminary site plan faces review, asking to be notified of any upcoming hearings or action. Kayamko, which plans 14 buildings of about 225,000 square feet, had its preliminary site plan approved by the East Windsor Planning Board about two weeks ago.
Attached to that letter is the same five-page engineering report Mr. Rosensweig personally delivered to the township board in person in July, enumerating problems the borough foresees with traffic the 33-acre site could produce and storm water management.

