By Charles W. Kim, Managing Editor
The application for a proposed charter school on Perrine Road inched closer to a vote Feb. 23.
Testimony for the applicant, 12 P & Associates, landlord of the Princeton International Academy Charter School, concluded during the almost three-hour meeting held in the Senior Center auditorium in the municipal complex on Route 522.
More than 100 members of the public attended the meeting.
The K-5 Mandarin immersion school would serve 170 students from the communities of South Brunswick, Princeton and West-Windsor Plainsboro if it is allowed to open.
The school plans to expand to fifth grade and around 250 students in four years, according to the testimony.
Applicant attorney Edward Boccher called on traffic engineer Elizabeth Dolan to continue her testimony regarding the impact the school may have on Perrine and Schalks Crossing roads.
Board planning engineer Frank Antisell told the panel a letter responding to previous questions asked of Ms. Dolan was received by the planning department only “about a week ago,” and the department responded to the applicant a couple of hours before last week’s hearing.
”There was not a lot of time for us to prepare our response (to Ms. Dolan’s letter),” Mr. Antisell said.
One of the main concerns expressed in the letter, Mr. Antisell said, was a traffic count at the site made in July when public schools are not in session.
”As most traffic engineers are aware, you see an increase in morning peak-hour traffic when school is in session,” Mr. Antisell said.
Ms. Dolan said the additional count, with school in session, would not matter as much because the intersection between Schalks Crossing and Perrine Road still would have a “failing” service grade due to left turns from Perrine Road onto Schalks Crossing.
According to Ms. Dolan, it could take up to six minutes for a vehicle to make that turn during the morning peak.
”The intersection would still fail (with higher counts),” Ms. Dolan said.
The school has agreed to pay for an off-duty police officer to regulate traffic at the intersection in both the morning and afternoon rush hour periods until such time as a traffic light is warranted.
Kevin Sheehan, attorney for the three public school districts opposing the charter, also brought up issues relating to the space required to evacuate the school in case of emergencies and also the lack of certain information in the charter’s environmental impact statement.
Board Chairman Martin Hammer said the information missing from the report, including the possibility of hazardous waste at the location from prior uses, was part of the township’s ordinance and had to be included.
”It is part of the ordinance,” Mr. Hammer said. “When my (board’s) professionals ask for something, I expect it to be included.”
Mr. Sheehan said the districts’ would be calling two witnesses to rebut testimony at the next meeting, March 22.
Mr. Hammer said public comment on the application would follow those last witnesses, and the board may vote at the meeting.
The meeting will be held at 7:45 p.m. at the Senior Center.

