Addition Approved
In 571 Redev Area
The West Windsor Planning Board has approved the first development application for Route 571 under the township’s newly adopted redevelopment plan: the demolition of a portion of the existing barn building at the CDNJ Plaza and the addition of more office space.
But the unanimous approval did not come without some scrutiny, as Chairman Marvin Gardner said he was expecting development that was of higher quality. “I’d like to see something unique and extraordinary here. So far, I have not seen anything esthetically pleasing to me,” said Gardner. “Frankly, I am concerned that I have not seen the quality the township is looking for.”
CDNJ officials argued the plan was a much-needed improvement. Mike McCloskey, the general managing partner of the CDNJ Plaza, said the “old, run-down shed” currently “is an attractive nuisance and not that attractive.” Owners worry that the building will be targeted by teens for break-ins, where they could damage the property or hurt themselves, he said. At the same time, there are efforts to keep a portion of the “barn that has shown up in old pictures of Princeton Junction” and incorporate it into the site, including “taking pains to make it accessible” to the handicapped population by adding an elevator tower.
“I think by doing this, we’ve improved not only our property, but the residential neighborhood” surrounding it, McCloskey said.
Responded Gardner: “Anything would be an improvement,” but “anything” is not what the township expects. “Even if this building is toward the rear, it’s still in the redevelopment zone,” he said, adding he was worried that if the board accepted applications like this, it would set precedent for future development along Route 571 that is less than extraordinary. “I think more thought needs to be given in terms of what we do with this area.”
Mark Sullivan, the attorney for CDNJ, said he was “flabbergasted” by Gardner’s comments. “This is gorgeous — I think we’re talking about two different applications.” McCloskey then pointed to the design elements, including benches and tables and other amenities on site (see the rendering above, and the photograph of the existing site).
The preliminary and final major site plan approval will allow an increase of 2,300 square feet of space at the plaza, which is located at the intersection of Sherbrooke Drive and Princeton-Hightstown Road. This will be done by demolishing the existing masonry garage portion of the barn and replacing it with a proposed two-story, 6,507- square foot office building. The plan also includes reconfiguring the parking areas to provide nine additional parking spaces, four of which are banked, and a connection to Carlton Place.
As part of the approval, the board granted variances for the minimum and maximum front-yard setback of 15 feet from the curb, as called for in the redevelopment plan. The original goal of the setback was to bring development along Route 571 up to the street. In this case, officials said, the proposed building is going to be set back 103 feet from Sherbrooke Drive because CDNJ will be constructing the new building on the footprint of the existing barn.
The existing barn stands at 38 feet, while the elevator tower stands at 36 feet, and the new building stands at 29 feet. For the elevator tower design, McCloskey said CDNJ officials wants to use a terra cotta color to mimic the look of silos found on old farms.
Three neighboring residents voiced concern, although none seemed to be outright opposed to the project.
Bonnie Bivins of Berkshire Drive said she was “quite pleased with the outcome, and I feel it does provide continuity with the barn.” She was also pleased with the height of the building relative to the homes in the neighborhood, but said she would like further consideration for landscaping, especially with regard to the water drainage issue. She said she worried about small children who could fall into a water drainage area and drown.
Rod Sharpless, also of Berkshire Drive, said he lived directly across the street from the site. “I want to come home and enjoy myself” after work, he said, adding that he was concerned about lighting, noise, and esthetic impacts to the community.
Contract Extension
Despite the looming litigation with InterCap and the implications it may have for the township, the council has approved a $52,000 contract with its traffic consultant for continued work relating to the downtown Princeton Junction redevelopment project.
The council voted on January 10 to approve the continuation of the contract with AECOM USA for Gary Davies’ work on traffic circulation plans, as well as for his consulting on a pending proposal by NJ Transit for a parking garage.
“This work is specifically in conjunction with the train station redevelopment plan and reviewing NJ Transit’s proposed parking deck and other redevelopment functions,” said Business Administrator Robert Hary.
Hary said that the state has not yet submitted plans for the parking garage because they are still in a concept phase. “NJ Transit has put forth a concept plan for a parking deck and is in the process of adding more details to it before they do a request for proposals.”
In November West Windsor officials discussed NJ Transit’s pending plans, saying they wanted NJT to build a garage with a retail component — an important part of the development of the train station’s core area. The principal element that remains to be worked out is the traffic circulation for the site.
Because the state has the ability to forgo any local zoning laws when it comes to building parking garages to serve transit needs, it does not need to follow the redevelopment plan, but NJT has said it would give West Windsor a courtesy review of its plans for the garage.
NJT had been anticipating sending out the request for proposals this month, but the timeline had never been set in stone. According to NJT numbers, the net increase in parking spaces provided by a structure would be about 1,000.
