West Windsor Council on Monday, December 19, will contemplate whether to designate a 350-acre area surrounding the Princeton Junction train station as a redevelopment zone.##M:[more]##
Council was originally scheduled to take up the issue at its meeting on November 21, but tabled the issue after discussions on whether to change the name of the Princeton Junction ZIP code ran late into the evening (see story on next page). Council will also decide whether to approve a concept plan for the reconstruction of Route 571 through downtown Princeton Junction on December 19.
Last month, the township Planning Board approved a report by John Madden, township planner, setting the boundaries for the redevelopment area, as outlined under the state;s Local Redevelopment and Housing Law.
If the redevelopment area is approved by council, the report would then be forwarded to the state Department of Community Affairs and the Office of Smart Growth for approval. If the report is okayed, council will likely direct the Planning Board to draft a detailed redevelopment plan.
Meanwhile, during a special budget planning session held on November 30, council agreed to $175,”000 in the 2006 budget to pay for the costs for drafting the redevelopment plan.
According to Joanne Louth, chief financial officer, the township would only have to include a 5 percent payment in the budget. The rest of the funds would be generated through a bond issue.
The township has also applied for a $175,”000 grant from the state Office of Smart Growth that, if approved, would be used to pay for the plan instead of township funding.
