Here’s a design detail that might have been lost on the punch list for most building projects. But this is the controversial Princeton Junction firehouse renovation for the West Windsor Arts Council and the news that a railing now needs to be retrofitted to the building, and that $1,000 is being paid to the architect to oversee the work, has raised some eyebrows.
After raising safety concerns about the entrance ramp when the building opened in October, the Township Council voted on a contract on December 20 that would begin to correct the issue. Architect James B. Foran will oversee the process of installation of guardrails along the ramp.
The elevated, handicapped-accessible path, features a gradual incline toward the building but has no railing, and some council members were worried that people could fall off the raised portion of the pathway, which inclines to about a foot above the ground, especially during icy conditions in the winter. (The hazard is temporarily reduced by the positioning of planters along the walk.)
The contract with Foran will cover the length of the project, the council’s resolution states.
Resident Pete Weale criticized the contract both during the meeting and online after the meeting, questioning why the township did not just solicit bids from railing vendors and let them oversee the installation of a railing — as opposed to spending money for an architect to oversee the project.
However, Business Administrator Robert Hary said the contract will cover Foran’s work in doing the drawings and design for the railing, and that the contract also includes his work in creating specs, permits, and documentation associated with the railing’s installation.
“Once he’s done, we take those specifications, and depending on the proposed pricing, we go out to bid or get three priced bids from companies that are suitable to perform the work,” said Hary.
Foran, of Yardville-based Fett & Foran, has been involved with the building renovation since the beginning. “We don’t need to hire a construction manager for this; we can do this with our own in-house architect,” Hary said. “Jim Foran is the township’s designated architect. We used him for the renovation of the building, so we thought it would also be prudent to use him for this project.”
Hary said that the township will not have a cost estimate on the railings until the design is completed. While there was some earlier talk by Township Council members about incorporating an artistic design to suit the building, Hary said township officials are more interested in a “functional design — one that enhances the safety of getting in and out of that building.”
Hary noted that the township owns the property, and as part of its agreement with the Arts Council, the township is responsible for undertaking capital projects. “We feel this is needed to enhance the safety of that building,” Hary said.
The West Windsor Arts Council celebrated the opening of its new home in September. The 75-year-old former firehouse on Alexander Road was transformed to include a 125-seat performance space, an education space for classes, and a community meeting room-lobby-cafe, with Wi-Fi access.
Under the 10-year agreement with the township approved by the council in the fall, the Arts Council will pay the township $250 a month in rent for the first two years. In the third and successive years, the rent will be $500 and increase by 10 percent each year.
According to Arts Council officials, the organization has contributed $300,000 to the renovation of the building itself — a building it does not own — as well as years of work from its volunteers.
West Windsor Township provided $800,000 in funding to bring the building up to code.
