By Lea Kahn, Staff Writer
WEST WINDSOR — Toll Brothers, which would like to build a mixed-use development on the 45-acre Maneely Tract off Old Bear Brook Road, will have to wait until the Planning Board’s Oct. 21 meeting to find out if its application will be approved.
That’s because Planning Board Chairman Marvin Gardner ended the board’s Wednesday night meeting following criticism of the board and its alleged lack of transparency by a Bear Brook Road resident.
Holly Keleman was critical of the proposed development, which would have 192 corporate suites — apartment-like units intended for short- or long-term stays — as well as 40 rental apartments, 20,000 square feet of retail space in two buildings and 51 townhouses.
Ms. Keleman said that given the number of residents, there are inadequate recreation facilities. She also alleged that there is a lack of transparency. She said that when she asked for documents, they were not available.
Mr. Gardner replied that “you can’t believe how hard” the Planning Board works. He pointed out that the board members are volunteers, and he wished that others in the community could see what the board does.
Planning Board meetings have a 10 p.m. adjournment time and sometimes the board will extend its curfew to complete an application, but Mr. Gardner noted that it was 10 p.m. and the meeting was adjourned. Ms. Keleman took the podium shortly after 9:30 p.m.
Much of the meeting dealt with details, such as the increased height of two commercial/residential buildings and two of the corporate suite buildings. The buildings increased by about 16 inches — to 44 feet 6 inches for the commercial/residential buildings and to 51 feet 11 inches for the corporate suite buildings because of new standards relating to insulation.
There was also some debate over whether Toll Brothers would have to pay for additional studies — if necessary — of pre-historic Indian sites on the adjacent 10-acre parcel that is earmarked for municipally-sponsored affordable housing.
Although it is not part of the application in front of the Planning Board now, Toll Brothers has agreed to carve out 10 acres and turn it over to West Windsor Township. Project Freedom, which manages housing units for the disabled, has been named as the likely developer of that site.
