By Lea Kahn, Staff Writer
WEST WINDSOR — The six candidates for three township council seats fielded a wide range of questions — from the fate of the Howard Hughes Corp. property to whether the township is getting a return on its money from Mercer County — during a candidates’ debate this week.
The two-hour debate, held Oct. 5 and co-sponsored by the Village Grande Civic Association and the West Windsor Retirees Group, sought answers on those questions and more from incumbent Councilmen George Borek and Hemant Marathe, and candidates Gerald Halloran, Ayesha Hamilton, Virginia Manzari and Alison Miller.
Mr. Borek, Ms. Hamilton and Ms. Miller are running on the Community First slate, and Mr. Marathe, Mr. Halloran and Ms. Manzari are running on the Your Voice, Our Commitment slate. Township council candidates do not run as Democrats or Republicans.
The Township Council seats held by Councilmen Borek and Marathe and Council President Bryan Maher are up for grabs. Mr. Maher has decided not to seek re-election. The term is for four years.
Asked about the uses that they would favor for the approximately 600-acre parcel known informally as the Howard Hughes Corp. property — the former American Cyanamid property, on the border of West Windsor and Lawrence townships — virtually all of the candidates said they were opposed to residential construction.
“There is no question about it,” Ms. Manzari said of her opposition to residential development. “I would not be upset if nothing is built there.”
Ms. Miller said that the last thing West Windsor needs is for the property to be developed into a small city. There is no need to develop it, but the owners want to develop it, she said, adding that she is not sure about what the Howard Hughes Corp. has in mind for it.
Mr. Borek suggested that some of the land could be preserved for open space and another part could be developed for retail uses, while Ms. Hamilton said that a quick look at the company’s website shows that it favors mixed-use development — commercial and residential. To say that nothing will be built there is “unrealistic,” she added.
Mr. Marathe and Mr. Halloran said they would like to know what the company is planning before considering changes to the zoning on it. Township council should not be afraid to say no or to ask “tough questions” of the developer, Mr. Marathe added.
When the candidates were asked about what they would do to ensure that more of the tax dollars that West Windsor property owners pay to Mercer County flow back to the township, Mr. Marathe, Mr. Borek and Mr. Halloran said they would like to meet with the Mercer County Board of Freeholders to discuss the issue. The township needs to get its fair share of money back from the county, Mr. Marathe said.
Ms. Miller agreed that it is important to see to it that the township gets its fair share of county tax dollars in return. She noted that there has been much cooperation between the township and the county in terms of open space acquisition and funding over the last year or so.
Ms. Hamilton suggested exploring some of the Mercer County programs that the township has not taken advantage of, while Ms. Manzari said Township council has to become more active and “engage” with the county.
When it was noted that Township council meetings had sometimes deteriorated into partisan shouting matches, the candidates said they would seek to work together with their colleagues on the council.
Ms. Hamilton and Mr. Borek said West Windsor is a non-partisan town, and that there are no Democrats or Republicans. Township council has to work for the common good, and there is no reason to be disrespectful to the mayor and the administration, Ms. Hamilton said.
Politics should not matter, Ms. Manzari said. Both Ms. Miller and Ms. Manzari agreed that everyone should be treated with respect. Ms. Manzari added that “I believe all of us up there (on the dais) will do that.”
“We are on the same team, we are not that far apart on the issues,” Mr. Halloran said.
Mr. Marathe, who served on the West Windsor-Plainsboro school board, said that when new school board members took their seats, “you didn’t know what they would stand for,” but everyone worked together.
The goal is not to make the front page of the newspaper, Mr. Marathe said, adding that “the test of leadership is to be able to say ‘no’ to your best friend.”
