Everyone in attendance at the open town hall meeting on June 28 seemed to agree there was a sore need for renovations to the 37-year-old municipal building and the relocation of emergency equipment from the expanding arts center. And the timing was right, coinciding with the awarding of a federal grant for two new township generators, one for the municipal building and the other for the new emergency services building. The renovations are expected to increase municipal efficiency while decreasing utility costs and optimizing emergency equipment usage.
“I’d like the mayor, administration, and council to wrap it up quickly. We have the money. If we negotiate in good faith, we could be breaking ground by next spring,” said Council president Bryan Maher.
However, the “where” of the new emergency services facility sparked strong opinions from residents.
Hsueh’s revised powerpoint version of the architect’s and engineer’s plan showed three proposed locations for the construction of the emergency services facility. The township’s two boats and HAZMAT equipment will be relocated to the new facility from the arts center. The original presentation concerning the emergency services facility on June 13 generated heated reactions.
“The illustration showing where the emergency services [building] was going to be was completely wrong. And no one in the committee noticed the glaring errors in the plan. How can we trust what the architect is showing us?” said resident Kelvin Werth, referring to the June 13 presentation.
Hsueh apologized and took responsibility for the mistakes. He said he had created his own powerpoint to resolve any misconceptions and stressed that the concept plans were not set in stone and open to suggestions.
In Hsueh’s powerpoint, the locations of the emergency services facility in Options A and B were both in the municipal complex. In Option C the location was adjacent to the firehouse on Clarksville Road.
There was considerable opposition from residents to Options A and B. Citing concerns about its proximity to the senior center, attendees championed Option C. “The ease of egress for the emergency vehicles is superior in Option C,” said Paul Eland. “The other point is esthetic. The municipal complex is beautiful with trees and landscaping, and I don’t want any trees cut down for construction of this ugly [emergency services] building.”
Hsueh said that there would be additional landscaping following construction and that “no trees will be cut down in all the options. If anything, there will be more landscaping and more trees planted.”
Resident Ezra Sela, a retired engineer, commented that he also prefers plan C because “it is close to other emergency management facilities, such as the firehouse.” He also said that it might be better to pick a more expensive plan to ensure the longevity of renovations. “I agree with the mayor that we should be looking to build this to last for the next 40-50 years. We need to make sure we plan for the big complex, the big picture.”
Kathy Brennan, a Courtney Drive resident, also voiced concern about Options A and B due to their proximity to the public library. “Putting an emergency services building next to the library, where 800 people showed up to the petting zoo last Friday, doesn’t make sense. What if one of those emergency vehicles had to go out, and children were crossing the street? Seniors also like to walk from the senior center to the library; they don’t want to be worried about that. Keep the area [the municipal complex] for our residents, family, and our seniors.”
In a follow-up interview, Hsueh agreed with Maher’s basic timeline. The administration is “going to be coming up with ballpark estimates for each of the three options, trying to take into account possible additional expenses based on the EMS building location. For example, we may need to obtain additional permits or meet additional regulatory requirements, depending on which site we are talking about,” Hsueh said.
“Also, we have received a commitment from FEMA that West Windsor can receive $214,000 for generators to ensure that the municipal complex and emergency services can operate 24/7 in the event of an emergency. We are one of the only non-shore towns in the state to receive approval for such funding, and we don’t want to lose the option to use that funding. We have not yet received the actual money, nor do we know what conditions will be attached to the grant, but generally federal grants require that the township use the money within three years of receiving it.”
“In addition, the location of the EMS building may determine how that money is spent, and whether we can afford one generator or two, based on the capacity of the generators. In addition, if we install the municipal complex generator(s) while we are undergoing renovations, the project may be cheaper in the long run, because we can upgrade and locate necessary utility lines and such all at the same time. In my opinion, the township will see a significant cost savings in the long run if we do the municipal complex renovations at the same time that we complete the EMS project.”
“We are going to do the best we can to provide cost estimates for each of the scenarios, and then it will be up to the council to make the final determination. Whatever they decide, we will do.”
