The entire length of Petty Road will still receive a full reconstruction after Toll Brothers representatives received the green light for an age-restricted development from Cranbury’s planning board.
Toll Brothers is to reconstruct issue-plagued Petty Road and improve the road drainage as the company is scheduled to construct a 167-unit age-restricted housing project at the Protinick property at the corner of Dey and Petty roads.
There had been confusion during the public hearings for the application itself about what would be the level of road improvements for Petty Road from Toll Brothers. Attorney Richard Hoff of Bisgaier Hoff, who represented Toll Brothers before the board, indicated that Toll Brothers anticipated potential areas in the road for full reconstruction and areas in the road where just milling and paving would occur.
“Toll Brothers is going to adhere to the settlement agreement. The agreement contemplates that Toll Brothers is to make sure the subbase in the road is all adequate. If the subbase is good and will remain so, we will just top pave it,” Hoff said.
The exhibits for the road displayed options for a partial reconstruction and full reconstruction of Petty Road, which was not expected by board professionals and members. Board professionals and members expected just exhibit detail on a full reconstruction of the road.
During the public hearing on July 9, Planning Board Engineer David Hoder and Township Committeewoman Evelyn Spann raised concerns that the plans did not just indicate a full reconstruction which had been negotiated for Petty Road.
“What you are doing is creating a road for the next 20-25 years and not compromising certain areas of the road that could fail because they are older,” Hoder said. “The idea is to give Cranbury a road that will exist for a certain amount of time.”
Hoff stated that they were unclear of the determination already being made that the entirety of the road base was inadequate and needed a full reconstruction.
Representatives for Toll Brothers agreed at the public hearing that the plans would now be changed to just indicate a full reconstruction and remove the section of partial reconstruction.
Back in 2019, a partnership was approved between the town and homebuilder Toll Brothers by Township Committee members, that addressed the issue-plagued Petty Road and would improve the road drainage.
Officials at the time estimated it would be a $2 million repair for the town without Toll Brothers reconstruction. Cranbury is contributing $250,000 to that cost of the future project.
The road is an old country road and Petty Road residents have been vocal about the road being in bad shape.