By Lea Kahn, Staff Writer
PLAINSBORO — It will be clear sailing for Township Committee members David Bander and Edmund Yates in their quest for re-election to the governing body, because neither one is facing competition for another three-year term in the Nov. 8 general election.
Mr. Bander and Mr. Yates are Democrats. No one filed to run on the Republican Party ticket.
Mr. Bander has served on Township Committee since 2013. He is an attorney with the Woodbridge Township-based law firm of Mets Schiro and McGovern. He is a former member of the township Zoning Board of Adjustment.
Mr. Yates has served on Township Committee since 1998. He is a senior project manager for a New York-New Jersey-based electrical contractor. Mr. Yates served on the Planning Board.
Asked about the greatest challenges facing Plainsboro Township — at least, according to a question posed to the candidates by the League of Women Voters of New Jersey — Mr. Bander said the most significant responsibility is keeping Plainsboro a “great place to live and work.”
Township Committee has achieved a stable balance of retail development, a community-focused Village Center and an extensive network of parks and open space, Mr. Bander said. It has led the township to be recognized as one of the best planned communities in the state, he added.
Mr. Yates said that “maintaining our record of fiscal control and performance continues to be our major challenge and focus.” Maintaining that distinction is the most important part of his work on Township Committee, he added.
And asked about new initiatives to serve Plainsboro Township, Mr. Bander replied that he would like to see an expanded offering of restaurants in the township. Given the township’s diverse population and its proximity to Route 1, he said he believes that the community could sustain more restaurants. Two new ones — Panera Bread and Five Guys — will open soon, he said.
Mr. Yates replied that one of the challenges facing Plainsboro — and the United States — is how to provide for the aging population. He said he would like to examine those needs and develop specific actions to address them — from housing to transportation and recreational and social needs.
