West Windsor residents hoping for a solution to their parking woes at Princeton Junction Train Station will have to wait longer for the completion of the new Vaughn Drive parking lot at the site of the former township compost heap.
“The significant rain we have been experiencing has delayed the project so it will not be completed by the end of the summer, as we had hoped,” says Council President George Borek. “But, if the weather cooperates, the Parking Authority is still projecting completion by early fall.”
Meanwhile, there’s another cloud on the horizon: the possibillity of litigation. “I am not at liberty to say more at this time,” says Borek. “The council is not the lead governmental entity here; it is the Parking Authority.”
Parking Authority President Andy Lupo, who made a presentation at a July 15 closed session of the council at which the litigation possibility was discussed, provided some details. “A significant amount of underground work has already been done — piping, the detention basin, and storm drainage systems are already in place. But unfortunately when motorists are driving by, it looks like little has been done, because all of this work is not visible from the street level.”
This summer’s heavy rain has impacted the contractor’s ability to prepare and compact the soil. “Because of DEP regulations, they need to compost and bury some of the material on-site,” explained Lupo. “The soil needs to be dry in order to go forward with compacting. The contractors are utilizing a “deep dynamic compaction” process, in accordance with regulations. The heavy downpours we have been receiving that last a couple of hours can cause a week’s delay, because the soil remains saturated and can’t be compacted.”
Lupo noted that this issue is especially frustrating because there is nothing anyone can do about it. “But rest assured that all of the parties are working together to get the parking lot finished as soon as possible. We are hoping to have the project completed in early fall, if the weather cooperates.”
Regarding the possibility of litigation, Lupo said, “Of course, with any contract situation, there are challenges when there are delays, and questions about who needs to do what. There are several different strategies that can be followed. One possibility is litigation, but that is a last resort and not something we are contemplating right now. We are all working together to resolve the problems.”
“As recently as last week, we met with the engineers and construction personnel to discuss ways to move forward on the project. The reality is everyone wants to see it get done quickly and correctly,” Lupo added.
