Ewing Mayor Bert Steinmann gave his annual State of the Township speech on April 15.
After several years of stagnation in town before his administration, the future of Ewing Township looks bright. This was the message conveyed by Mayor Bert Steinmann at his annual State of the Township speech on April 15.
The mayor gave his address, his fifth overall and the first since being reelected to a second term, during a luncheon with the business community that was sponsored by the MidJersey Chamber of Commerce at the Trenton Country Club.
“When I first took over, Ewing’s tax ratables were going down and maybe staying flat. Since I’ve taken office, we have gone on an upward curve,” said Steinmann, pointing out that since taking office, the township’s ratable base has increased by 11 percent.
“That may not be an overall significant number if you look at the overall budget,” he said, “but it’s not a backwards step. It’s that forward step that we’re looking for.”
He said that although the town’s revenues still lag slightly behind where its expenses are, “it’s not to the point where we are constantly thinking about having to raise our taxes by 8, 9, 10, 11 cents.
This year’s proposed budget calls for a tax increase of 2 cents per $100 of assessed valuation. For the owner of an average value home in Ewing, that would translate into about a $25 increase in the municipal tax bill.
Steinman said that money helps support numerous township functions, including police, road maintenance, parks and infrastructure.
“The average taxpayer in Ewing Township should feel very good that their leadership is considerate of the fact that we’re trying to do it at the minimum that we possibly can,” Steinmann said.
He also said that the township is continuing to work to attract investment and built the ratable base. That includes balancing the budget, stabilizing finances, improving employee relations, improving facilities, and solidifying its business practices.
Part of that involved building partnerships with the county, other governmental agencies and with the business community.
“For years, the township had no concrete plan to show the outside world how we viewed ourselves,” said Steinmann. “I believe our work is setting the stage for a new and improved way of doing business within Ewing Township.”
He thanked County Executive Brian Hughes for the support he has provided in the township’s efforts. “It’s a pleasure to work with someone like that when you know that the visions for the county and the visions for Ewing Township are visions that move everything forward.”
Another major piece of Ewing’s success is the growth at the Trenton-Mercer Airport and the addition of Frontier Airlines.
“We are in a zone that we can realize global opportunities because of the airport, that now, for the first time in many, many years has relevance,” Steinmann said.
The facility, he added, is no longer only utilized for just regional or corporate business. “We now have an airport that is viable and can sustain our economy, bring our tax rate down and attract new businesses. And when those businesses come, they’re going to be airport-related businesses.”
Redevelopment of the new Parkway Town Center at the GM site is moving forward, although environmental issues have held back the start of construction there.
“When it comes to redevelopment, I’m told patience is the name of the game, which, as many of you know, I’m in short supply of,” said Steinmann. “It’s difficult, it’s expensive, but we have to continue.”
He said project developer Lennar is continuing to work with Racer Trust, the property owner, to clean up contamination at the site and eventually close on the sale of the property. They’re still targeting getting shovels in the dirt by the end of 2015.
On the other side of the road is the Naval Air Warfare Center site, where the town continues to negotiate for the development of the property.
“Rest assured, we will have nearly 300,000 square feet of new, commercial space in that particular spot over the next two years,” Steinmann said, adding that the town will also need to work with Mercer County to make sure that necessary infrastructure improvements are made..
“We continue moving forward on defining the road network necessary to support this development,” the mayor said.
Ewing is also looking at the surrounding open land to ensure that the area is accessible to pedestrians and by bicycle. They are also hoping to expand these paths so they can connect to other areas including The College of New Jersey, Rider University, the Delaware and Raritan Canal and the New Jersey Manufacturers headquarters.
The town also has big plans for the West Trenton train station, ultimately building a new station on a parcel that’s being set aside in the Parkway Town Center.
“The only thing that is holding us back is to get that train line up to New York,” Steinmann said. “That is our vision moving forward. We’re going to be working very hard with New Jersey Transit and other partners, if we need to, to get that done. “
The township’s other redevelopment — Olden Avenue — is under the auspices of the Ewing Redevelopment Agency, which has been working to bring in more businesses there.
“They’ve been hard at work promoting the avenue, working with business owners and new investors alike,” Steinmann said.
The agency is also working to improve the area through upgrading facades, signage and landscaping. He said that in recent years Olden Avenue corridor has seen the addition of 20 new businesses, property improvements and expansions, including Midas, Davis Hyundai, and Coleman Subaru.
On the residential side, the town will see construction of its first new single-family development in 20 years, off of Ewingville Road, and also the Bear Tavern on the Green luxury rental apartments.
“We continue to grow, and by now, I’m sure you know I’m serious when I say Ewing Township is open for business,” said Steinmann. “We not only talk the talk, but we walk the walk.”
“I am willing to do that, but it’s a two-way street,” he said. “It’s not just on the business side. The township, county and state need to make investments. We need investment in infrastructure in order to attract these businesses to stay… If our infrastructure fails and people start to have to wait two hours to get to work, they’re going to go somewhere else.”
,
