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Westerly Road Church seeks to relocate

By Pastor John Beeson
Westerly Road Church Seeks to Relocate:
Westerly Road Church is in the process of planning a relocation within Princeton Township. Established in 1956, Westerly Road Church has been an active and longstanding participant in the Princeton community. With a congregation of approximately 475 on an average Sunday morning, Westerly draws well over half of its congregation from the Township, Borough, and University. The church has an active relationship with the University and Seminary communities, with approximately 50-60 university students and 10-15 seminarians on an average Sunday. Senior Pastor Matt Ristuccia has served at the church for 24 years and has assisted the Princeton Township Police Department as volunteer chaplain. 
The church has had tremendous growth over the past decade which has led them to seek a property more suitable to their size. The church currently rests on a portion of a 5 acre parcel located  in a the residential neighborhood at 37 Westerly Road near Elm Road. The church sought to expand on its current site in the mid 1990s, but that effort was not successful. Another attempt to relocate in 2002 also did not materialize.
Westerly Road Church is currently seeking to purchase an 18.5 acre parcel on Bunn Drive and Herrontown Road which would accommodate a 44,400 square foot facility. The congregation has been active in the environmental stewardship of its current property (use of native vegetation, composting on site, and natural material recycling), and a church-based Creation Care group participates in local environmental initiatives. Concerned about the environmental impact of the development, the church is seeking to minimize its impact. Of the 18.5 acres, approximately half, or 9.9 acres of this parcel will be disturbed, with impervious coverage of less than 25% of the lot. The current plan would retain 70% of the trees on the lot. Furthermore, the church continues to be working with an environmental team that will maximize both the use of regional eco-friendly materials and energy efficiency.