By Christina Whittington, Special Writer
HIGHTSTOWN — At the Oct. 9 Planning Board meeting, members rejected in a 6-3 vote a recent Borough Council resolution. In September, the council’s measure declared that the Borough Hall should stay downtown on municipal-owned property.
Borough Hall once was the central location for Hightstown’s government, housing municipal staff, the Hightstown court and the Police Department.
Today, the old Borough Hall facility sits vacant after more than a year of nonuse since the floodwaters of Irene engulfed it August 2011.
Asbestos was discovered within parts of the municipal building, according to government officials. And the Police Department station was completely destroyed from the floodwaters.
For many months, the council and Mayor Steven Kirson have been debating what should happen to Borough Hall. Many council members have said in public that they were getting information slowly this winter from the mayor regarding the borough’s insurance claims on Irene — despite repeated requests for specific information relating to the Borough Hall.
It has been suggested by Mayor Kirson relocate the Borough Hall elsewhere in town.
The resolution adopted by the council states its intent to have Borough Hall administrative offices and the Police Department located where the former complex operated from with the option to include Public Works and the Municipal Court.
The Municipal Court operates now out of Robbinsville while borough administrative offices have been set up inside the Public Works building on Bank Street since last year. The Police Department has been operating out of the Lucas Electric Co. building on Mercer Street.
Recently, Hightstown learned it will receive $1.7 million from its insurance company, Lexington Insurance, to rebuild Borough Hall onsite or elsewhere — after a deductible of $500,000.
Initial estimates to rebuild the facility were as high as $3.5 million.
Hightstown’s claim with Federal Emergency Management Agency is being contested.
”This would be considered a capital improvement project because it constitutes major development,” borough planner Tamara Lee said Monday, explaining why the Planning Board had to review the council’s resolution. “Municipal land use law says whenever a governing body wants to entertain a major development, it needs to essentially run the idea by a Planning Board to get the planning implications of that.”
She said, “You are not approving or disapproving it. You are simply reviewing it and giving your recommendation.”
Borough Engineer Carmela Roberts presented an engineering report showcasing the location of the 100-year flood line established in 1977 by FEMA for Hightstown.
”That (flood limit line) passes over the entire firehouse area and 90 percent of Borough Hall,” Ms. Roberts said.
The Fire Department operates near the Peddie Lake dam where North Main Street and Route 33 unite, and it sits close to the old Borough Hall building.
Despite suffering floodwater damages, the Fire Department was quickly back up and running after the floodwaters seized the lower level of its facility.
When the floodwaters receded, fire personnel were there to cleanup.
Ms. Roberts indicated the maps being considered for adoption in 2013 show the anticipated flood limit line going much closer to the edge of Rocky Brook.
”In the new 100-year flood limit line, the Borough Hall building itself is not impacted at all,” she said.
”When the maps are adopted, Borough Hall will be lying fully within the area between the 100-year and 500-year flood limit,” Ms. Roberts said.
Ms. Roberts did state that just by observation and talking to others, the 500-year flood limit line is similar to where the Hurricane Irene flood limit line occurred.
She said to rebuild a building in that area, on North Main Street, either partially or wholly, there are several insurmountable permits to be obtained.
”I think you have been asked to make advice and suggestion based on planning, but there are other ingredients into this overall picture,” said resident Scott Caster. “One of them is to not abandon downtown Hightstown and perhaps to keep a Borough Hall and a police station in the core of Hightstown. I, and a lot of others, are located in downtown Hightstown for business.”
Resident Torry Watkins said, “It boggles my mind this beautiful stormwater management plan, a very affirmative forward-looking plan brought to all of us by the Environmental Commission, was endorsed by council and then — in the same set of actions after council endorsed the stormwater management plan — they decided we ought to plop Borough Hall in the middle of a flood prone area. If that’s not schizophrenic then I don’t know what is.”
Bill Gilmore, a member of the Greater Hightstown-East Windsor Improvement Project, added, “You don’t need the Borough Hall downtown. There has been no visioning done by the Planning Board. There has been no visioning done by council as to where this community wants to go. The only true people that have been talking about it is GHEWIP.”
He said, “We were the instigators of the downtown, getting all of the coach lights, the lane changes and all of that stuff; that was driven by us. We are not new to the game; we are old to the game.”
Mr. Gilmore also said Borough Hall does not belong downtown because it negates the redevelopment possibilities of that area.
”We need the opportunity to connect, we need the opportunity to get something started downtown. Borough Council is misguided,” Mr. Gilmore said.
In reference to the Lucas property on Mercer Street, “If we want to improve the ratables, it does not make sense to take a $1.7 million property off the tax list that brings in $65,000 a year,” Councilman Robert Thibault said, addressing planners.
Mayor Kirson said, “We have had mention of the GHEWIP report numerous times tonight,” he said. “The GHEWIP report right now has not been adopted by the Planning Board, nor has it been adopted by council. It is just a recommendation by a private group so keep it as that. There is no resolution by either board so it is just something that has been offered by a bunch of folks who represent GHEWIP who have done some nice things over many years for this borough. The borough has not made any affirmation of that report.”
Mayor Kirson also mentioned the Route 33 Corridor Study, created in conjunction with East Windsor, which was a study spearheaded by the township.
”Thinking about the Route 33 corridor going forward and how it will develop over the years — and that is not going to happen next week — but I can envision that project being done, and if we don’t take advantage of our circumstances today, conceivably, I can see commerce ending at 33,” the mayor said. “And, if it’s a real successful project, no one coming into this borough. We are talking about downtown; it will be a ghost town.”
”Obviously, we are going to need to work with council, we are going to have to make this work from a planning perspective,” said Planning Board Co-Chairman Fred Montferret. “As a Planning Board, we have to think of smart growth, and that’s the next step that comes along with where should we put Borough Hall and the smart growth, which we hear from our professionals. Everyone brings up valid points, but you can’t get emotional about this stuff because this is a planning perspective.”
Board Co-Chairman Steve Misiura added, “My take on this is the flood plain is a big issue. We have a map here that shows the property that is being discussed, and there is a little corner that is not in the flood plain. I see the flood plain 500-year line is the flood plain. We have seen the flood go there. We know that it has happened every 25 years or so.”
Councilwoman Gail Doran, who sits on the Planning Board, said, “I would point out that a good deal of Hightstown is within the 500-year flood zone. This is where we live. Reusing the existing property does not prohibit the redevelopment of the Rug Mill.”
Ms. Doran also stated there is an insurance company willing to rebuild on that site, making it more cost effective to go back to the original site.
Borough Administrator Michael Theokas told the Planning Board the borough’s excess insurance carrier, Lexington Insurance, has committed to the original Borough Hall location.
”They are willing to discuss other options,” Mr. Theokas told the Herald of Lexington Insurance.
The Planning Board members will be drafting a letter ton its opinion on the Borough Hall resolution to the Borough Council.
”Depending upon what feedback the (Planning Board) secretary gets from the Planning Board members, we may schedule a special meeting to finalize (the letter). If everyone is fine with the draft, we will probably just make it the final document and send it to council,” Mr. Misiura said.
According to Mr. Misiura, if the council disagrees with the Planning Board, it needs to state its reasons.
As per Ms. Lee, the council must do this by way of a resolution.
”They can move forward however they choose,” Mr. Misiura said.
The next Planning Board meeting is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Nov. 13.
A special Borough Council meeting regarding Borough Hall is scheduled for 7 p.m. Oct. 17.
Jen Samuel, managing editor, contributed to this report.

