The vacant, abandoned second section of the Ellsworth Center has been cleared for completion, nearly 20 years after construction began. ##M:[more]##The West Windsor Township planning board waived a condition that caused the property owner to leave the project unfinished, creating a site that has long been seen by residents as a blighted eyesore.
Jacinto Rodriguez, principle for Sumo Enterprises of kearney, NJ, which owns the property, appeared before the planning board on Wednesday, January 10 to once again state his case. Partway through the construction of the center, the township saddled Rodriguez with the responsibility of widening and improving the intersection of Cranbury Road and County Route 571, or Princeton-Hightstown Road. Rodriguez would not be able to obtain a Certificate of Occupancy until the project was completed.
The part of the Ellsworth Center closest to the intersection, owned by Sean Ellsworth, had already been issued a C.O. and been allowed to open. Rodriguez says he did not agree with the decision, but spent $28,”000 for plans for the intersection. He says the township, county, and state could never come to a decision on what to do with the intersection, and as a result, the would-be shopping center has sat vacant for 19 years.
“”The appearance of that area is indestinguishable from the streets of Iraq. It’s incomprehensible that the owner would have allowed it to deteriorate,”” said Planning Board Chairman Marvin Gardner. “”It constitutes a safe haven for criminal activity.””
The center has been the site of arrests made for underage drinking and drug use, as well as graffitti, vandalism, illegal dumping, and illegal parking. Gardner said also Rodriguez seems to be “”a victim of circumstances beyond his control.””
Mercer County recently agreed to shoulder the financial responsibility for the intersection. As a result, the planning board, which consists of an entirely different membership from the one that imposed the condition, unanimously approved the waiver of the condition, freeing the owners to continue with the much-delayed construction.
The planning board mandated that the owner pay for $41,”000 of the off-tract improvements. The county will give the owner a credit for the $28,”000 already spent for plans. According to township engineer James Parvesse, the project will cost approximately $260,”000. There is currently no plan or timeline for the widening of the intersection, but Rodriguez is free to complete construction and obtain a C.O. Nearby residents raised a new issue during the January 10 meeting. The township’s current zoning laws indicate that there should be a 50-foot buffer zone between the closest resident property and any commercial structures or driveways. The driveway that will be used to access the back part of the Ellsworth center does not conform to these laws.
Planning Board Chairman Marvin Gardner commissioned an investigation into whether this was a law when the site plan was approved, or whether it was adopted after the owner’s 1988 application. It is not yet known when the investigation will be completed, or what the result will be if the application was approved contrary to the zoning law.
