By Charley Falkenburg, Staff Writer
WEST WINDSOR The Grover Homestead Restoration Committee wants to save the Grover home by making it a community project, which would be renovated through volunteers and donations.
In one month, it will be a year since a controversial resolution came before the council to demolish the Grover farm on Village Road East for $60,000. Shortly after, the Grover Committee formed to find a way to table the demolition indefinitely by crafting a viable business plan.
Now, they are ready for to go before the council with a detailed plan that aims to show council the home can not only be saved, but can be done gradually over a couple of years through the community at virtually no cost to the taxpayer.
The committee is proposing to only use $53,000 of the $60,000 slated for demolition so it professional contractors can immediately take care of the windows, doors and roof to prevent further deterioration.
”This is not only a township icon, but it would turn into a historical community project,” said Rocky Procaccini, the Grover Committee chair. “This would bring people from all walks of life together.”
He added that it would also be a great way for Boy and Girl Scouts to not only earn their merit badges, but to learn skills such as carpentry, electrical work and plumbing construction under the supervision of the professionals. Mr. Procaccini also said they already have commitments from local private contractors to donate their work on some parts of the interior that need to be done professionally.
The idea is that supplies would be donated, raised through community fundraisers and/or corporate sponsors. Mr. Procaccini said the committee would undergo the process to formally become a nonprofit group so it could receive donations.
Without volunteers and donations, Mr. Procaccini estimated it would cost “well into six figures” to renovate the building professionally.
Mr. Procaccini said the ultimate purpose of the home would be decided when the renovation is complete.
”That’s when the town, taxpayers and council can decide what to do with it of what is within Green Acres,” he added. “The ultimate goal is to save that iconic piece of history it may not be a historic site, but it has a lot of historical history.”
The plan cites possibilities such as a rentable community center, a museum, a Boy or Girl Scout camping cabin or a caretaker residence, which could create revenue of rental income.
The controversy surrounding the 88-acre township-owned property seemed to continually increase over the past 11 months. The journey of the property’s salvation include an investigation to recover missing items, a police report the county prosecutor’s office ordered to be kept sealed and criticisms toward the committee for taking too long with their business plan all which seemed to aggravate an already sensitive issue.
The Grover Committee was prepared to go before the council at the March 18 meeting to present a five-minute run-through of their plan. However, Council President George Borek said that evening’s agenda was already set, but that the members could give the quick update during the public comment period. Mr. Procaccini said the committee wanted to be included on the agenda and would try again for the next council meeting.
Mayor Shing-Fu Hsueh said if the council votes in support of the plan, he would follow up with all the necessary budget and legal considerations. If the council votes it down, he said he would have to try and conduct the demolition without using taxpayers’ money. He appeared confident that if that were the case, the Public Works Department would be able to do it since it “developed additional capabilities after going through Hurricane Sandy.”
When asked what the committee would do should the council vote no, Mr. Procaccini paused for a second.
”If it were to destroy an icon such as this after this proposal, it would be political suicide on an election year.”
