Grover Farmstead will soon become nothing but a memory. At its meeting on September 3, with little discussion or fanfare, the West Windsor Council voted 3-2 to award a contract to Frank Lurch Demolition Company to demolish five buildings at the Grover Farmstead at a cost of $45,900. The demolition is scheduled to take place within the next 30 days. Council members Bryan Maher and Kristina Samonte opposed the measure.
Nonetheless, some pockets of the town’s history are still alive and well: the West Windsor Historical Museum was officially opened at a ceremony on September 10. The museum, housed at the Schenk House, includes the Schenk Farmstead, the original one-room schoolhouse, and the barn, which has been converted into a museum. Public bathrooms are now operational, and the museum will be open to the public periodically on Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m.
In addition to more than 40 residents, Mayor Shing-Fu Hsueh, Council members Linda Geevers and Kristina Samonte, and members of the West Windsor Historical Society — most notably former Schenk House resident Mary Schenk — were present at the ceremony.
Said Hsueh: “We have a responsibility to preserve the history of this town. This museum, situated on land donated by the Zeitz family and stocked with items donated from individuals, preserves all of West Windsor history in one location.”
A visibly moved Mary Schenk thanked everyone for their support of the project over the years. “I want to thank the township and the residents for all of their help. My father-in-law was born and raised in this house, and he would be so thrilled to see what has been done here. Now people young and old can come and learn about West Windsor history.”
Another West Windsor site steeped in history will also be receiving a much-needed improvement: council unanimously approved a contract with V&K Construction Company to build permanent bathroom facilities at Van Nest Park adjacent to Grovers Mill Pond, at a cost of $166,950.
“This project is part of the capital budget, and was one of the projects we decided to move forward in terms of priorities,” explained Council President George Borek. “Right now there are only port-a-johns there, and having permanent bathrooms will be a huge improvement for the many parents, children, and other residents that visit the park.”
Van Nest Park is the site of the famed “Martian landing.” A celebration commemorating the 75th anniversary of the Orson Welles radio broadcast is being planned for October.
According to Borek, another capital project, the construction of bathrooms and a pavilion at Conover field off South Post Road, has also been identified as a priority, and will be considered by council once the township brings a resolution to the council members.
Council also approved an agreement with Princeton Hydro for the Little Bear Brook flood hazard assessment and West Windsor redevelopment area regional stormwater management analysis project at a total cost of $136,290, with $100,000 being allocated for the stormwater studies greenbelt area and $36,290 for the annual flood abatement program. Princeton Hydro will make a presentation at the next council meeting, on Monday, September 16, to explain the project to the public.
In other news, the Zoning Board considered the proposal for expanding the Ellsworth Center at the corner of Princeton-Hightstown and Cranbury roads. Shawn Ellsworth “gave a very well-developed and detailed presentation,” said Land Use Manager Sam Surtees. “He explained that he is completing the vision that his father, who in the 1940s returned to West Windsor as a decorated World War II veteran, had for the Ellsworth site, one that was developed in conjunction with the township’s master plan.” The expansion includes new retail space, as well as 20 second-floor apartments.
The Zoning Board made no decision either way on the application but continued the matter to its meeting on Thursday, October 3, to allow Ellsworth to complete his presentation, Surtees said.
Update on Alexander Road commuter parking lot. “Weather permitting, we are on target for the new commuter parking lot to be open by November 15,” said Andy Lupo, chairman of the West Windsor Parking Authority. “We are hoping to be open a week or two earlier. Of course, the project could slip a week or two behind, but we are fairly confident the project will be completed by November 15. Shaping of the lot will begin the end of this month, and blacktopping will begin in October, and it will begin to look like a parking lot.”
Regarding individual spaces, Lupo said: “We have a current waiting list and we expect to be issuing a joint press release with the township about spaces as we get closer to the completion date. We anticipate that by the end of September or beginning of October that we will be contacting people already on the waiting list to see if they are still interested. Residents who have not yet added their name to the waiting list, and would like to do so, should add their names to the list.”
