West Windsor Township has changed the start date for its highly-anticipated public input session, or charrette, concerning the planned transit village. The first meeting will take place on Thursday, February 22, at 7 p.m. at a location yet to be determined. According to the township, The second will be on Saturday, March 17, starting at 9 a.m., and the third and final meeting will take place on Thursday, April 19 at 7:30 p.m.##M:[more]##
Mayor Shing-Fu Hsueh initially announced at a January 9 town hall meeting, that the first charrette would take place on Wednesday, February 21. Planning Board Chairman Marvin Gardner suggested that the township could change back to that date depending on availability of locations. The mayor has indicated in the past that it will most likely be in a school auditorium or at Mercer County Community College.
Hsueh expects approximately 400 residents to attend the meetings run by the redevelopment planner, Hillier Architects. Fewer than 100 attended the town hall meeting on January 9 when Hsueh announced the dates. “We are going to make this open to the public as much as we can,” said Hsueh. “We are all going to be working together.”
At a January 8 town council meeting, J. Robert Hillier spoke about his plan for the charrettes. Each workshop is designed to last three hours. At the first meeting, residents will be asked for suggestions about what they want and what they do not want. Based on their input, the Hillier Group will create three draft plans. On March 17 attendees will be broken into smaller groups and asked to form and present opinions on each of the drafts. The planning firm will use that information to create a single design, and at the April 19 workshop, will ask for opinions on suggested modifications.
At the January 9 Town Hall meeting, Hsueh outlined his guiding principles for the redevelopment, which include transparency (an open, public process), equity (benefits for all residents), sustainability (environmentally efficient building when possible), and capacity-based planning (measures to guard against overcrowding on the roads and in the schools.)
Hsueh said the plan is expected to be completed by the end of the year. Once the public meetings are finished, Hillier will present the concept plan in May at a joint meeting of the council and the planning board. The planner will listen to comments and objections, and will make adjustments and prepare plan documentation over the summer. A final planning board presentation will take place in August, followed by a presentation to council in September.
Hsueh said he expects residents will see the results of the redevelopment plan in five to ten years.
Councilman Franc Gambatese also spoke at the town hall meeting: “I want you all to think of this as the township giving everyone a blank palette. Everyone should paint a picture of what they want the redevelopment to be. We want everyone in the community involved. We shouldn’t be scared. Greatness has never been achieved by those who just stand pat.”
Hsueh answered questions from attendees, including Nick Shire of Benjamin Court. “Can we have more than three meetings? It doesn’t seem like nine hours of planning is going to be enough for such an important project,” said Shire. Hsueh answered that he has faith in Hillier’s prescribed charrette process based on the planner’s experience. He said the township and the Hillier Group will review written comments by those who have input that can’t be expressed during the public meetings.
Alvin Lerner, of Rainflower Lane, asked whether the Alexander Road bridge construction would be finished by the time the redevelopment construction begins.
Hsueh said that the delays involved with the road construction were expected, since entities such as Amtrak, New Jersey Transit, the state Department of Transportation were all involved in the planning, approval, and funding of the bridge replacement project. This reasoning seemed to lead several residents to question the five to ten-year timeline for the redevelopment. The same entities will be involved in various capacities relating to the redevelopment.
“I am a patient person,” Hsueh replied to the objections.
