While Hillier’s selection as master planner for West Windsor’s proposed redevelopment and eventual transit village may have ended up as a slam dunk for the hometown favorite — see story — the team leaders at the Hillier Group say they have no preconceived notions for the draft plan.
“We’re looking forward to discovering what the community really envisions for the train station area and working with the community, planning board and township officials to create a plan that makes it possible for this vision to become reality,” said J. Robert Hillier, chairman and founder of Hillier Architecture, based at 500 Alexander Park, a short walk from the edge of the redevelopment area.
Hillier gave a personal, impassioned public presentation on September 27, saying to a packed room, “Call me Bob.”
Among his points in support of his firm’s selection were that he would be nearby and accessible should residents have a problem with the company’s work, and that at this point in his career, he takes on only projects that are very important to him. A company spokesperson said he declined an interview for this story, however, because he would like the public to get used to the associates who will be working with them more closely on this draft plan.
Hillier’s associates and township residents will exchange information during three meetings called charettes. All residents are encouraged to attend to express their ideas about what the redevelopment should include and accomplish.
Anish Kumar, Hillier’s director of urban design, says he will take his direction from the township during the charette process. Kumar expects that the first charette will take place in the spring. “One of the first things we’ll do with the township is create the schedule. We want to do it at a time when we’ll get maximum public participation, so our speculation is that the best time will be the spring, after the holidays and bad weather that might keep people from attending.”
Kumar says his firm will hold the meetings approximately a month apart, to allow its specialists time to absorb the public’s input. As Bob Hillier stated in his public presentation during the selection process, it is expected that the firm will take about nine months to create the plan. Hillier also said he believed the plan could be executed in five to six years.
After three public meetings, Hillier will give two public presentations. The first will present its draft for the plan, and the next will be the unveiling of the final plan. Kumar said he recommended that the township create a “steering” committee to give input to the planners between the first and second public presentations of the plan.
The redevelopment plan, according to Kumar, will consist of “conceptual guidelines. We’re not designing the buildings that will be here. All the work that we’ll do is going to be a guide for the developers who will come later.”
“We’re not designing the way we would design a building. We’re going to be creating the DNA, the pattern, the structural framework that will support the design that will happen later in the process,” says Bradley Walter, a Hillier associate and also a member of the West Windsor planning board.
Walter says the concerns he sees as most pressing for the township with respect to redevelopment are “the traffic pattern, the fiscal issues involved. We have to look into creating housing that won’t bring too many more children to the area. Everyone is concerned with the impact this will have on the school enrollment. We all know the school district is a draw for people from all over, and that’s going to be a factor.”
Kumar and Walter say it is unknown at this point what part of the project will be completed first, and how long it will take before construction begins.
Kumar specializes in the land development and redevelopment process, including strategic planning/programming, site feasibility study, master planning, and design of mixed-use buildings. Kumar attended University of Pennsylvania, and is a professor at Drexel University.
