Committee studies sites for a new police HQ
By:Brian Shappell
A new home for the Cranbury
Police Department is one step
closer to reality.
Following three weeks of delib
erations, a list of committee mem
bers’ recommendations was com
piled and released during Monday’s
Township Committee meeting.
Many of the locations are on or
close to Route 130.
The next step of the process
will be a review of the dozen se
lected sites by Police Chief Harry
Kleinkauf.
“I honestly feel this is the best
route to take,” said Chief Klein
kauf. “My job, at this point, is to
assess these locations and report
their feasibility. It is a good start.”
One preliminary standout loca
tion, according Chief Kleinkauf, is
the Schroeder Property on Old
Trenton Road.
“(The Schroeder Property) puts
us on the edge of the village and
gives us access to Route 130,”
Chief Kleinkauf said. “Since the
advent of the warehouses east of
Route 130, we’ve been getting a
good amount of our police business
there.”
Assessments of the potential lo
cations will be presented June 26 to
the committee.
“This is certainly going to be a
joint effort,” said Chief Kleinkauf.
“I’m going to give my input in the
coming weeks. I am sure that it will
work out very well.”
The official list of suggested
sites forwarded to the office of
Township Administrator Christine
Smeltzer includes the Schroeder
Property; the McGillan Property, at
the intersection of Route 130 and
Half Acre Road; the Cedar Brook
Corporate Center Property on Dey
Road; the Updike Property on Old
Trenton Road; the Wright South
Property on North Main Street; the
Summit Tech Property on Old
Trenton Road and Route 130; the
Cheney Property on Old Trenton
Road; portions of the Earl Apple
gate Property on Route 130 and the
Freer Property south west on Dey
Road and Route 130.
Other, non-designated locations
along Route 130 may also be con
sidered, according to the list.
“Clearly, there is not a perfect
site available for this,” said Mayor
Alan Danser.
Among the many other con
cerns that will be considered when
choosing a location is the site’s po
tential for future expansion.
Aside from the police head
quarters, the committee and Police
Department are considering areas
that could accommodate a court
house, according to Chief Klein
kauf.
Currently, Cranbury has an
agreement with Plainsboro to pro
vide courts services in Plainsboro.
“Two acres could handle the fa
cility, parking and an additional
court facility, should the court be
moved back into town,” said Chief
Kleinkauf. “Some of the locations
(that are being ruled out) such as
one on Route 130 and South River
Road, where the old Amoco station
was, are too small a property and
would not be able to handle our re
quirements.”
Discussion over the need for a
new police facility began more than
two years ago.
Chief Kleinkauf said the depart
ment could use a new location be
cause the force is growing to meet
the demands of an increased resi
dential population and a growing
warehouse district. The department
added two additional members in
1999.
The current building on Dey
Road, just east of Route 130, is not
large enough or up-to-date enough
to handle the growing department,
Chief Kleinkauf said.