The much discussed proposal to redevelop the Ellsworth Center on Princeton-Hightstown Road in the heart of West Windsor’s downtown will continue at the Zoning Board hearing Thursday, December 5. The proposal calls for the addition of 34,000 square feet of commercial space and 18 apartments to the existing retail center, with parking and stormwater management facilities on two adjoining lots currently zoned residential.
The December 5 meeting will be the decisive meeting predicts Sam Surtees, West Windsor’s land use manager, even if the board — which has held a series of special meetings in recent months to clear its calendar — has to meet until the wee hours of the morning to complete its deliberations.
“Shawn Ellsworth [owner of the existing retail center] and his experts had completed all of their testimony in this matter, and all questioning from the board members, the public, and neighboring residents has been completed,” said Surtees in an E-mail.
“However, the owner of the adjoining undeveloped property, Jacinto Rodrigues, is opposing the variances being sought by Mr. Ellsworth (WW-P News October 11). The matter had to be adjourned once again so that Mr. Rodrigues’ attorney, Jeffrey Baron, could present testimony supporting that opposition,” continued Surtees. Rodrigues owns the boarded-up section of buildings between the existing center and the railroad tracks that originally had been built as an extension of the existing retail center. Rodrigues has sought to redevelop his portion of the site in the past but issues regarding road improvements have been raised.
Continued Surtees in his statement: “All testimony will be taken on December 5; all questions will be completed, and a decision will be reached by the board on December 5, no matter how long the meeting takes. It may go on until 3 a.m., but the board will make a decision.”
