New station plan to be unveiled in West Windsor

By Kristine Snodgrass, Staff Writer
   WEST WINDSOR — Hoping to take a significant step forward in redevelopment planning, the West Windsor Township Council will be holding an all-day open house next week to allow residents to review a new draft plan for the train station area.
   The council chambers will be open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Oct. 17 to allow residents to review displays by RMJM Hillier firm of its draft redevelopment plans. The plans will then be discussed at a special Township Council meeting 7 p.m. Oct. 21 at Grover Middle School.
   Last month, council instructed the firm to immediately synthesize a draft redevelopment plan for the 350-acre area around the Princeton Junction train station. The sudden move, made after council members scrapped plans for another review session, was a significant milestone in what has been a lengthy, contentious redevelopment process.
   ”It’s nothing more than an opportunity for people to come in and see what Hillier is proposing,” council President Charles Morgan said. “This way people will be able to come into the formal presentation on the 21st with a little bit of preparation.”
   Mr. Morgan, who cast the sole vote last month against requesting Hillier to create the draft plan, said he and some other township officials will be on hand throughout the day to discuss the plans, which they have not yet seen.
   Melinda Sherwood, spokeswoman for the RMJM Hillier, said about six large maps will be provided for illustration purposes.
   The draft plans will be a combination of the original plan by the firm, proposed last year, and that of local developer Intercap Holdings, Ms. Sherwood said.
   ”More or less, it’s a more mature version of what we’ve presented in the past,” she said.
   The firm will give a PowerPoint presentation to explain the draft plans at the meeting on Oct. 21, she said.
   Mayor Shing-Fu Hsueh said the draft plans are a rough version that the township can work from, and change, as the redevelopment process continues over a number of years.
   ”People shouldn’t expect this to tell them how to build a building,” he said. “It’s a land-use plan. Details will come later.”
   Now is a good time to create plans that will be developed after the faltering economy stabilizes, he said.
   ”Any time is a good time to do the planning,” he said.
   At the council meeting Monday night, Mr. Morgan cautioned against expectations for a fast redevelopment process.
   ”I think it’s unrealistic to think that redevelopment is less than a 10 to 15 year exercise,” he said.