By Jessica Ercolino
ROBBINSVILLE Residents and officials will have the opportunity Thursday night to hear plans for a proposed police and Municipal Court building at the site of the existing municipal complex off Route 130.
Representatives from Trenton-based architect firm Clarke, Caton and Hintz are expected to give a presentation at the Township Council meeting on three proposed designs for the facilities, said Township Engineer Jack West on Tuesday.
Since a black mold and seemingly uncontrollable water seepage problem was discovered at the Route 130 municipal building in October 2005, court facilities have been held in a trailer on the same grounds and municipal offices were moved to 1 Washington Blvd.
Meanwhile, local officials have said the police station, a separate building next to the now-empty municipal building, was built to hold 15 employees and is overcrowded with 34.
Two of the proposals call for demolition of the municipal building while one calls for renovation and expansion.
In August, the township entered into a $379,250 contract with Clarke, Caton and Hintz to design municipal court and police facilities. At the time, three different locations were being considered: the currently discussed site, Washington Town Center on Route 33 and the Gordon-Simpson tract on Gordon Road and Route 130.
Included in Clarke, Caton and Hintz’s resume are civic and institutional buildings similar to what Robbinsville is considering. The firm is responsible for the Lawrence Township police and Municipal Court building, which includes a 125-person courtroom and a police detention facility.
In other business, the council is expected to vote Thursday on the creation of a municipal alliance committee on alcoholism and drug abuse.
According to the ordinance, the alliance would help reaffirm the township’s policy of promoting health, safety, morals and welfare of residents and supplement existing substance abuse education, prevention and public awareness programs.
The alliance would consist of 11 members, including the mayor, police chief, presiding judge of the township’s Municipal Court, school resource officer, a Township Council liaison, a township liaison, superintendent of schools and four appointed residents.

