To The Editor:
Stay Engaged
On Redevelopment
I want to thank the 200 residents who came to the Council meeting October 21 to better understand the evolution of the draft redevelopment plan for West Windsor’s Town Center. It is not easy to stay informed of the facts without being distracted by the political sideshows. I want to clarify my personal commitment to keeping the redevelopment process moving forward.##M:[more]##
The latest Hillier maps denote a new road layout. The plan has evolved dramatically due to the integration of the data from traffic studies conducted by Intercap with oversight by our township consultants. The series of traffic task force meetings integrating the technical recommendations from NJ Transit and NJDOT staff have given me the confidence we are heading in a positive direction to a workable road network.
Council’s next step is to discuss the zoning options for each block. The Hillier’s Draft Plan can be found on the West Windsor website (www.westwindsornj.org/Redevelopment-Plan-Oct132008Version.pdf).
Creating a Main Street, similar in length to Nassau Street spanning over the tracks in an equal distance to connect both sides of the township, is currently not reflected in the zoning. I will work to make sure this concept is not lost in the broader discussion.
The location of the affordable housing units needs to be better integrated with the market rate units to gain my support. Phasing the construction of housing should not only be driven by school age children, but should be connected to the phased completion of road improvements.
The complex discussion on zoning densities is a key component to determine the fiscal viability of the project and the tax impacts on our residents. Constructive criticisms by informed citizens are a welcome contribution to creating a quality document for our shared vision of the future of our community.
Stay engaged,
Heidi Kleinman
Vice President
West Windsor Council
Dredging Update
I would like to clarify and correct some of the information presented recently in the media concerning the Grovers Mill Pond dredging project.
The Township of West Windsor is spending $150,”000 to have additional sediment dredged from the pond. The cost of the original project did not increase. The original $2.2 million contract that the federal government awarded to Select Transportation was for the construction of the dredged material containment area and the dredging of 50,”000 cubic yards of material within the project limits. The project limits were drawn to show the maximum project area authorized by environmental permits.
Although the project would have functioned as intended with just the planned quantity of 50,”000 cubic yards of dredged material removed, the township elected to have an additional 15,”000 cubic yards removed to further enhance the project.
The $4.9 million project included the construction of a dredged material containment area, dredging of 50,”000 cubic yards of material from the pond, disassembly of the containment area approximately one year after dredging is complete, mixing onsite material with the dried dredged material, and regrading the area. The material will not be removed from the park.
The Army Corps of Engineers contributed $3.2 million and West Windsor Township contributed $1.5 million with additional in-kind services (e.g., Police and Public Works participation). The township is grateful to Representative Rush Holt and the Army Corps of Engineers for a project that will enhance the beauty and utility of Grovers Mill Pond for years to come.
M. Patricia Ward
Coordinator, Community Development, West Windsor Township
Good Vibes for Crafters
The YWCA Princeton’s Crafters’ Marketplace Gala Cocktail Party held last month at the Miele Inc. showroom on Route 1 raised more than $22,”000 to benefit the YWCA’s Bates Scholarship Fund.
We are grateful to Chef Bobby Trigg, who with his Ferry House staff provided sumptuous hors d’oeuvres and desserts. The Miele showroom was the perfect setting for the evening, and we thank all the staff who were so helpful. And special thanks to John Enz [music teacher at WW-P High School North] and his wonderful Youth Orchestra of Central Jersey, who literally set the tone for the evening. Thank you, also, to event chair Diane Essex and her committee.
The Patron’s Party was a prelude to our Crafters’ Marketplace, the best craft show in Princeton, which will be held at John Witherspoon Middle School on Saturday and Sunday, November 22 and 23.
Judy Hutton
Chief Executive Officer, YWCA
Approaches to Autism
The New York Times recently ran an article about a DIR/Floor Time based school for teenage boys with autism. DIR (Developmental Individual differences Relationship based approach) is a relatively new and highly interactive teaching philosophy.
While I respect the ongoing development of new schools and programs for students with autism, I would like to stress the necessity of treatment methodologies being evidence based, as is true for Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). In my opinion, this article presented ABA in a quite narrow fashion, focusing on the earliest use of ABA in the education of students with autism.
In the early 1980s, Dr. Ivar Lovaas first introduced ABA to the education of students with autism with his pioneering research. Since then, ABA in relation to the education of students with autism has developed and expanded into a comprehensive teaching methodology and in fact encompasses much more than “rote memorization, memorized responses, specific behaviors, and compliance to external directives.”
I look forward to other treatment methodologies such as DIR becoming validated through scientific research. I understand that the use of multiple methods for the treatment of autism is a natural progression, but more research on such promising practices is needed before diverting much needed resources. Anne S. Holmes
Chief Clinical Officer,
Eden Family of Services
