West Windsor Retirees host two-hour forum.
By: Emily Craighead
WEST WINDSOR In a bright room where the walls are splashed with watercolors and decorative quilts commemorating the township’s past, political adversaries running for mayor and council debated the community’s future.
Monday morning’s two-hour session at the senior center, sponsored by the West Windsor Retirees, attracted between 30 and 40 people mostly retirees.
Many of the questions related to creating a village center and transit village.
The two slates, headed by incumbent Mayor Shing-Fu Hsueh and council Vice President Alison Miller, appeared to agree on most major issues, dissenting on the details.
Council candidate Heidi Kleinman’s description of the township’s effort to define itself resonated with Joan and Ray Jones of the Village Grande community.
"West Windsor is a bedroom community looking for a living room," Ms. Kleinman said.
Although she and her husband live in an age-restricted development, Ms. Jones said they are active throughout the township and, she said, "We need to feel there is a center to that community."
Ms. Kleinman, a Planning Board member and an architect, is running with Mayor Hsueh and former West Windsor-Plainsboro Board of Education member Linda Geevers.
While Jersey City firefighter George Borek suggested seeking more public input on projects such as the redevelopment along Route 571 and the Princeton Junction train station, his running mate, David Siegel, a software developer, proposed expanding the plans. The two are running as a team with Ms. Miller.
"West Windsor is spread out, and one village center is probably not adequate," Mr. Siegel said, suggesting that the accessibility of other shopping centers around the township also be evaluated.
Ms. Geevers commented on the value of continuity in fulfilling the township’s vision for a town center, to which Mr. Siegel replied, "I hope she (Ms. Geevers) is not implying that a mayor who has not been able to complete things should be rewarded by being re-elected."
All the candidates agreed transportation for seniors and other residents who cannot drive needs improvement.
"We need to think about design projects where transportation is a key component of the design," Ms. Kleinman said.
The candidates also concurred on a suggestion to negotiate use of school-district buses during the day for township use.
"Those are discussions I think absolutely will happen," Ms. Geevers said.
Seventeen-year resident Andrea Mandel said her greatest concern is that West Windsor retain its independence as it considers redevelopment projects. She said she attended the forum to find out how the candidates will prevent New Jersey Transit or private developers from determining the township’s future.
"I would like to see more of a vision of how they would move forward with controlling our own destiny," she said.
The mayor’s response did not entirely convince Ms. Mandel, who said she would like to hear more specifics from all the candidates.
"We get money from the state, but I make it very clear to the state, you don’t control what gets done," Mayor Hsueh said.
Ms. Miller emphasized the importance of local and regional governments sharing the burden for new development that might benefit the region while straining the township’s resources.
"We have to say if there is a regional planning initiative, there has to be regional tax sharing," Ms. Miller said. "Without easing our tax burden, we will not welcome development that will ease other people’s tax burden."
Both sides also commented on the importance of independent thinking, communication and cooperation among council members and the mayor, responding to a question asking why the candidates run as part of slates.
"I want them to be able to come up with ideas based on their expertise," Mayor Hsueh said. "We all need to agree to disagree with mutual respect. I need to have a combination of different ideas and different points of view so we can move this township forward."
The mayor said his statement was not intended as a direct response to Mr. Borek’s letter published in Friday’s Packet alleging he was asked to be a "yes man" for the mayor.
Ms. Miller also said the slates are another way to put the township’s interests first.
"The reason we run in teams is because we feel a sense of obligation to the community," she said. "We want to bring the best person we can to help us serve the community."
In response to a question about the mayor-council form of government, she noted that "newspaper reporters never like headlines that say the mayor and council agree again, but that’s usually what happens."
Mayor Hsueh said the township benefits from the mayor having a four-year term, because it allows him to follow through on projects.
Mayor Hsueh said that if re-elected he will to draw on his experience at the state level as administrator of the state Department of Environmental Protection’s Water Supply Administration as he continues to seek grants and support from other government agencies to make his vision of the West Windsor facility a reality.
"I have experience working closely with both sides of the aisle, whether Republican or Democrat," he said.
In her closing statement, Ms. Miller said electing a new mayor would not be a detriment to current township plans.
"We all follow through with what’s come before, and I’m not going to drop the ball on any of our projects," Ms. Miller said.
Monday’s debate will be broadcast on local cable Channel 27 at 8 p.m. today and Thursday and at 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.