Mayor Christopher Bobbitt’s first State of the Township address was all about the “Three Ps.”
The mayor spoke to the crowd at Cobblestone Creek Country Club May 9 and outlined his vision for Lawrence Township in the next year: people, planet and profits. He adopted the “triple bottom line” strategy from the environmental movement, he said. It’s something he introduced in his first speech to council after being appointed mayor.
“When I was elected to be mayor by my colleagues on township council, I gave a speech laying out some of my ideas about how I think of Lawrence Township and my goals for my time as mayor,” Bobbitt said. “I spoke about our shared history and desire to evolve to meet the challenges of the future, using our committees, residents and businesses as resources guiding what we do as a township.”
People
Bobbitt said the township has been doing “more with less” for so long, that it was starting to affect current staff. During this year’s budget hearings with the mayor, council members and Township manager Kevin Nerwinski, Bobbitt said it became clear that new hires were a must, especially in the construction, health and recreation departments. The township will hire one police officer, one firefighter and one part-time school police officer, as well as two public works employees who Bobbitt hopes will help with maintaining the new portions of Business Route 1 between the Whitehead Roundabout and the Brunswick Circle.
Planet
Bobbitt called Lawrence a “community that cares about the environment,” citing its Sustainable Jersey silver certification as evidence. The township, according to Bobbitt, is also “one of a handful of communities” in the state that runs a curbside organic waste program. He also encourages walking, biking and reducing waste by increasing recycling.
Bobbitt hopes to guide Lawrence toward a Sustainable Jersey gold rating and said the township has already undergone an energy audit of a number of municipal buildings that could qualify for energy-efficient upgrades through the state’s clean energy program. Local non-profit Sustainable Lawrence has also begun outreach within the community, advocating for Direct Install, a state clean energy program that covers up to 70 percent of the cost to improve energy use and efficiency of eligible buildings.
Profits
“While the first two Ps are important factors, without a strong financial base, they cannot be fully addressed,” Bobbitt said.
He wants to keep the township’s ratable base strong through “proper and desired growth in the right parts of town to strengthen out local business districts and neighborhoods.” He cited the Mercer Mall and Quaker Bridge Mall as retail space that were able to bounce back “thanks to some strategic additions” like REI, Nordstrom Rack and the number of new restaurants at Quaker Bridge.
The Costco and Bristol-Myers Squibb were other points of pride for Bobbitt. He added that the township is working with the state Department of Envionmental Protection to remediate the old Pit Stop site in Eldridge Park. The garage has been painted with murals while a solution is planned.
Other additions include plans for a hotel in the Sleep Hollow community, recently approved by the Planning Board, and the Hilton Harden Inn at the Princeton Pike Corporate Center is nearing completion. Space at the rear of the complex will be used to fulfill the township’s affordable housing obligations.
That site, said Bobbitt, got him thinking about the township’s future land use strategies. He hopes to overlay potential residential use with existing commercial space.
“The last thing we want to see is Lawrence to suffer the shock of loss of retail without having a plan to mitigate that loss,” he said.
While declining spaces like the Lawrence Shopping Center weren’t specifically named, Bobbitt did reference sites that need help as far as rejuventating and attacting new customers and tenants.
“Another desire of mine is to look at sites throughout the township that have been underperforming for years, those sites where businesses just can’t seem to get it going, sites that nobody thinks about leasing,” he said. “I think we need to ask ourselves and challenge ourselves. How do we look to make changes that allow those properties to reach their highest and best use while respecting our community’s values and sensibilities?
“We are on the move toward becoming a more sustainable community that looks to support the business community.”
Lawrence Township Mayor Christoper Bobbitt delivers his State of the Township address May 9, 2018 at Cobblestone Creek Country Club. (Staff photo by Samantha Sciarrotta.),
