CRANBURY: Committee debates projects as grant deadline looms

By Kaitlyn Kanzler, Special Writer
   CRANBURY — The Township Committee discussed several options for road improvements as next months deadline for applying to the State Department of Transportation for grants comes near.
   According to Township Administrator Denise Marabello, the grants would allow paving, milling, and grinding to happen to roads in desperate need of repair.
   Township Engineer Bill Tanner and Public Works head, Jerry Throne came up with a list of priority roads that are in need of being fixed right now.
   The top three roads in need of repair are Brickyard Road, John White Road, and Petty Road, according to the officials.
   According to Ms. Marabello, Mr. Tanner can apply for grants for two roads of the three to repair.
   ”That doesn’t mean we’ll get both of them,” Ms. Marabello said.
   According to Ms. Marabello, Mr. Tanner had applied for a grant to fix Brickyard Road last year, but they received the beautification grant instead that is helping the committee begin the restoration of the historic downtown area.
   Brickyard Road is the site of potential major construction in the upcoming years with the Cranbury Brick Yard LLC, project, which received preliminary site plan approval from the Planning Board at the beginning of August.
   The $200 million project is a 2.8 million square feet industrial distribution warehouse facility located on a 390-acre property that was formerly a munitions factory that exploded in 1954.
   Several committee members expressed concern over having money allocated to fixing the road when the construction in the upcoming years would just tear the road up again.
   ”In regards to Brickyard Road, we might coordinate that as far as priority,” Mayor David Cook said. “I’d say that we should find out when they are doing there before we make it a priority.”
   According to Ms. Marabello, the area of potential construction is not where the paving would occur, which was why Mr. Tanner applied for the grant last year.
   According to Mayor Cook, if there is any damage done by the construction, the company in charge of the Cranbury Brickyards is required to repair it.
   According to Ms. Marabello, Petty Road was not on the list of top three last year, but due to increased deteriorating conditions, it moved up on the list this year. The grant amount for fixing Petty Road is potentially $802,000.
   ”(Petty’s) been a construction mess for years,” Mayor Cook said.
   One of the problems with Petty Road is that when the area was first being developed the installed storm sewers led to nowhere.
   Mayor Cook suggested that the committee find out the problems going on there and if there would be any potential problems with paving if they were to move forward with the project.
   ”Are we putting a Band-Aid on a project that needs surgery?” Mayor Cook asked.
   According to Ms. Marabello, if the road is in dire need of paving, you are able to add needs, such as addressing the sewers, into the grant, but you are unable to apply for the additions initially.
   The repaving that was done on Main Street at the beginning of August was a result of last year’s grant application in addition to the beautification grant.
   According to Ms. Marabello, 10 percent of grants awarded will be in the quality of life category. The beautification grant falls under this umbrella.
   Committee member James Taylor suggested that Mr. Tanner apply for another beautification grant to finish the downtown project.
   ”This is a priority as well,” Mr. Taylor said.
   The grants for the repairs and beautification must be filed by Oct. 16.