By Greg Forester, Staff Writer
WEST WINDSOR — Township consultants John Madden and Gary Davies have agreed to assist Township Council in future redevelopment planning work for the township’s 350-acre redevelopment zone.
The two consultants agreed Friday to provide analyses of data produced by entities involved in redevelopment work. Those entities will include project planning firm RMJM Hillier, the West Windsor Parking Authority, NJ Transit, and others.
”Both Gary and I feel we can work with council,” said Mr. Madden. “We will look at anything that will be helpful, that the council feels we should review.”
Mr. Madden, the township’s planner, said that Mayor Shing-Fu Hsueh had requested that the two consultants provide their expertise on the township’s planning issues. Mr. Davies works as the township’s traffic consultant.
Mayor Hsueh said Friday that there had been some hesitation stemming from the perception that the redevelopment process being undertaken by Township Council would continue to be controversial and political in nature.
”They were assured they would be treated like professionals,” Mayor Hsueh said.
Fears over a highly-politicized process were apparently allayed after the consultants met with township officials Friday, when the consultants agreed to lend a hand in the planning process.
”It certainly isn’t going to be like the Planning Board process,” said Mr. Madden, who characterized the time when the Planning Board had been tasked with redevelopment duties as “adversarial.”
In that process, Mr. Madden and Mr. Davies were to have taken a more direct role, with the two having outlined how they thought that process should have gone forward.
They were also prepared to actually create a redevelopment plan for the station area with the Planning Board, but that changed last month when the Planning Board handed the planning duties back to the Township Council.
But Mr. Madden remained somewhat optimistic about the process going forward.
”It seems to be that the pieces are falling into place,” Mr. Madden said.
Mayor Hsueh said Monday that the two consultants would be paid the same hourly rate they received when performing their work with the Planning Board.
Councilman George Borek had met with the two consultants, and other township officials, to discuss their future work with the council and any concerns they had about the process.
”They had concerns with everything that was going on,” said Mr. Borek. “But it was a very cordial gathering.”
The consultants and their work would be used to avoid the duplication of services in the future, and also provide helpful insight into any outside work, according to Mr. Borek, who cited a $185,000 traffic study funded by Steve Goldin, a landowner in the redevelopment area.
”It will save us money,” Mr. Borek said.
Upcoming redevelopment work includes consideration of an ordinance designating the Township Council as the redevelopment entity connected to the township’s large project, a designation that would carry certain powers for the council.
The selection of a redevelopment attorney is also expected at the council’s Feb. 11 meeting.
But that process remains somewhat controversial, with some council members showing a preference for a different attorney than the one favored by Mayor Hsueh.
Mayor Hsueh said Monday that he followed a process set forth in a council resolution that was approved last summer which allowed the council to provide input into the selection of the redevelopment attorney.
Mayor Hsueh said his actions had been mischaracterized by Councilman Charles Morgan last week, when Mr. Morgan said that the mayor was “going back on his word” in the appointment of the redevelopment attorney.
”I never promised what he said,” said Mayor Hsueh, of any notion that the council would pick the attorney.
”I will never give away the powers our system of government gives to me,” he said, referring to a mayor’s power of appointment with the advice and consent of Township Council.
