As many passersby have noticed, the historic Grovers Mill barn on the corner of Cranbury and Millstone River roads is getting a facelift.
The famous location of the fictitious Martian landing reported during Orson Wells’ “War of the Worlds” radio broadcast in 1938 will retain its character — down to the Grovers Mill Company logo on the side of the building. But it will no longer have retail uses, and the top loft area is no longer going to be just for storage.
On September 2 the Zoning Board approved four variances and gave major site plan approval to the site’s newest owners, who plan to construct three apartments and two office areas inside the 250-year-old barn.
The property’s new owners are listed as Martian Holdings LLC, and the managing member is Carl VanDyke, a West Windsor resident.
Reached by phone after the approval, VanDyke said he and his wife have been residents of West Windsor since 1996. VanDyke ran his own business for many years in the transportation industry as a software developer and consultant. VanDyke sold the business and continues to work part-time as a partner at Oliver Wyman, an international management consulting firm with offices at 212 Carnegie Center in West Windsor.
VanDyke says he was interested in branching out into other areas, “and the opportunity to renovate Grovers Mill Barn caught my eye, and I elected to pursue it,” he said.
Martian Holdings was formed as a family partnership, owned by him and his wife, strictly to own the barn. “I’m very excited at the opportunity to do this,” he said. “I think it’s a great, historic site.”
The new owners will be completely renovating the building, explained Sam Surtees, the township’s Division of Land Use manager. “What they want to do is put in two loft apartments on the second floor and one efficiency apartment on the lower level that would be handicapped-accessible that would meet the criteria of an affordable housing unit.”
Also on the first floor, said Surtees, would be the two offices. The plan also calls for site improvements, including work on the parking lot, stormwater management, and restoration of the exterior of the building.
“It’s going to remain the same character that is there now,” said Surtees.
In order for plans to move ahead, the Zoning Board had to grant three variances. The first variance was a use variance, since none of the proposed uses are permitted on that site. The second was a floor-area-ratio variance, since converting the loft area on the second floor from storage will create a square footage that exceeds what is currently permitted on the lot.
The third variance is a density variance, which is needed because the zoning only allows one residential unit, but the property owner wants to have three.
The building will be red, and a new roof will be installed. “They’re very cognizant of the fact that this is a historic structure in town, and it’s an icon in the town,” said Surtees. “It’s what people picture in their minds” when they recall the Orson Welles story.
With regard to the office area, Surtees said it can be divided into two offices, or it can go into one office area if one owner wants the whole area.
Surtees said one of the main benefits of moving forward with plans for the site is that “we keep a historic structure in town that is going to be well-maintained. This building has fallen into disrepair over the last 20 years. They’ll clean the site up.”
VanDyke said the family’s goal is to finish the project some time in the spring.
The barn was previously the site of a lawnmower repair shop and had attracted the interest of former West Windsor councilman Franc Gambatese, who entered into a contract to purchase the building. Ultimately, however, he decided to open up his Grover’s Mill Coffee shop in the Southfield Shopping Center.
The architect for the project is Kyle Van Dyke (no relation to Carl).
