WW question: How to educate 20,000 about redevelopment?

Officials focus on new series of sessions

By: Greg Forester
   WEST WINDSOR — How do you educate 20,000 people so they can make an informed decision about a massive project in the middle of their hometown?
   That is the question for the redevelopment steering committee that was scheduled to meet Monday with the goal of providing responses to the RMJM Hillier firm’s recommendations for the ongoing education of the West Windsor community about the project.
   West Windsor officials including Councilman George Borek, Planning Board Chairman Marvin Gardner, Mayor Shing-Fu Hsueh and Councilwoman Heidi Kleinman, who are members of the steering committee, had been asked to provide their responses to a presentation made earlier in the month by Hillier officials.
   The previous steering committee meeting saw RMJM Hillier Chairman J. Robert Hillier and other Hillier officials making recommendations for the project. Those included a new series of educational meetings focused on specific topics — giving more time for interaction between residents, business owners and community leaders — and the creation of an educational booklet about the project for the entire community.
   West Windsor officials said they are focusing on the new series of educational meetings as the primary way for bringing the community together.
   "The focus of these meetings should be to discuss the plans, educate ourselves and the public, and see if we can build a consensus for a concept," said Ms. Kleinman. "After those educational meetings the Township Council and the Planning Board should meet and discuss what they have learned."
   Mr. Gardner said he was concerned about the determining of what factors signified the reaching of a consensus on the project, and what it would cost the township to continue to pursue the determination.
   "Generally I have no problem in spending as much time in determining the benefits and detriments of any development, but we need to decide on what exactly the determining factors are that show community approval of any project plan," said Mr. Gardner. "We need to establish some sort of time frame as well, otherwise it could be an interminable process with increasing costs to the taxpayers."
   Councilman Charles Morgan said the key to the rest of the process was making sure the residents truly understood the project and its costs and benefits — so they could weigh it against the current state of West Windsor — and make what he called a "lesser of two evils" decision.
   "It is really about the facts of life, and the facts of redevelopment are really not known well in this community," said Mr. Morgan. "When the facts of redevelopment are known by the community, a certain kind of clarity will come to the residents, allowing them to make a decision."
   Bradley Walters, senior associate at RMJM Hillier, stated the firm was ready to work closely with the township.
   "We’re looking forward to meeting with the steering committee Monday afternoon to discuss specific roles in the redevelopment project moving forward," he said, "including greater involvement by the township and its consultants to provide an independent review and ‘second opinion’ on our work to date."
   One West Windsor resident present at the Aug. 6 meeting said he didn’t agree with what he had heard from Mr. Hillier about advocating and selling the plans to West Windsor residents.
   "It seems to me the meetings should neutrally provide information on the redevelopment plans and their consequences rather than sell a particular plan," said Berrien Avenue resident David Siegel.
   Ms. Kleinman stressed the importance of creating several ad hoc committees tasked with bringing ideas together for the different areas of the project, ensuring the educational meetings give the appropriate information to those in attendance.
   The makeup of the ad hoc committees was recently the subject of some Planning Board discussions, whose members were not named to them, although township officials said this did not preclude Planning Board members from joining the committees and bringing their expertise to the groups.
   Ms. Kleinman said the township should provide the necessary resources to make the meetings a success.
   "This could include expanding the budget for this component, which is just another necessary step in this process," she said.
   West Windsor officials said they hope to settle on a date for the first of the new series of public workshops in the near future, with the meeting most likely being held at the West Windsor Senior Center, located in the municipal complex.