LAWRENCE:Towship’s door is open to busines, mayor says

By Lea Kahn
   Lawrence Township is open for business, and township officials are ready and waiting to help businesses that want to start up or relocate here.
   That was the message Mayor Greg Puliti and Municipal Manager Richard Krawczun delivered to the Mercer Regional Chamber of Commerce, which met at the Educational Testing Service’s Chauncey Conference Center on April 7.
   Mayor Puliti said that when he was asked to speak to the chamber and to reflect on the state of the local business community, he mulled over several ideas. The economic climate in Lawrence, for example, is similar to that in many communities, he said.
   ”I don’t think I need to tell a roomful of educated business people what the economic climate is like, let alone pontificate on it for 20 minutes,” he said, adding that upon further thought, he asked himself why he would set up shop in Lawrence.
   ”I said to myself, ‘Just tell everybody that Lawrence is the best town in New Jersey and everybody should locate here.’ The only problem with that statement is while it is 100 percent true, it’s a little biased on my part,” he said.
   Mayor Puliti said that instead, he decided to ask a handful of business owners why they chose to move to Lawrence. The answers he got were as varied as the businesses that were approached — whether it was the dentist who moved from one office location to another in the township, or the men’s clothing store that jumped across the border from Trenton to Lawrence, Mayor Puliti said.
   ”So what do all of these stories have in common? The wonderful community of Lawrence and its clientele. So, rather than take my word for it, take the words of successful businesses that have recently invested and reinvested in our community,” Mayor Puliti said.
   But there is more to opening a business than the desire to do so, Mayor Puliti said. That’s where Municipal Manager Richard Krawczun — who doubles as the Community Development director — and township staff fit into the picture, he said.
   Mr. Krawczun told the Chamber of Commerce members that the municipal government views itself as a service organization, and that it takes a team approach in dealing with businesses that would like to move to Lawrence.
   Business Advocate Andrew Link, who is part of the team, can provide business owners with help — from answering simple questions to shepherding the business owners to the right person at the Municipal Building, Mr. Krawczun said. It can be a daunting task to open a business, he said.
   Municipal Engineer James Parvesse also serves as the zoning officer, and he can advise the business owner whether a specific location allows for the business to be located there, Mr. Krawczun said. If the business owner needs to file a site plan or a use variance application, Mr. Parvesse works with the applicant, he said.
   ”We will talk to you about the (development) plan,” Mr. Krawczun said. “It can save you time and money and you can get all of the approvals much quicker. This is something that is free. We will meet with you at no cost.”
   To reinforce that message, Mayor Puliti called on Wayne Winderman, who is a principal in B Circle Associates LLC. The company redeveloped the land on the Brunswick Circle that includes a McDonald’s fast-food restaurant, the PetSmart store and the Quick-Chek convenience store.
   ”I was a young developer and I needed a good education and I got it here in Lawrence Township,” Mr. Winderman said, as he outlined the development projects in which he has been involved — starting with the CVS drug store on Brunswick Pike at Cherry Tree Lane. It had been the site of the former Budny’s Tires business.
   Each project had its difficult moments, but township officials always worked with him to smooth things out, Mr. Winderman said — whether it was switching from one species of tree specified by township officials to another species that had already been delivered, or revising the type of development that had been planned for a specific site.
   Mr. Winderman said the original plan for the Brunswick Circle property called for a ShopRite grocery store, but the plans fell through. Township officials envisioned an office building instead, but after lengthy discussions, he said, he was able to convince them that the present development would be better.
   ”All of the businesses are doing well. It has been a great experience. I have gone from being a novice developer to being an experienced developer. I appreciate all the help I got along the way,” Mr. Winderman said.