Mayor Shing-Fu Hsueh’s Asian-style pocket park withstood one final challenge at the May 31 Council meeting.
The park project located across from Windsor Plaza has been Hsueh’s baby for the past couple of years. After a lengthy gestation period marred by insinuations, including derisive comments about the presence of an “Asian Park” in an American town, the ground-breaking ceremony took place June 4. The park has been named in memory John and Alicia Nash, the Nobel Prize-winning mathematician and his who lived in West Windsor and were killed in car crash in May, 2015.
During the Council work session on May 31 Council vice president Hemant Marathe tried to push for a resolution opposing a pavilion slated for the pocket park. The pavilion is a gift from Chinese artists, but Marathe questioned whether the pavilion adheres to building codes. The former school board president has emerged as a vocal adversary against the mayor this past year, but like his earlier opposition to the Canal Point Boulevard redesign, Marathe’s effort to halt the mayor’s plan fell short.
Prior to the work session, Council introduced a package of bond ordinances and a public hearing is scheduled for the Monday, June 13, meeting. The township is seeking to borrow $3.767 million.
The largest expenditures are for roadway improvements, at $1.1 million, hazard mitigation, at $810,075, and sanitary sewer extensions and pump station improvements, at $580,440. The following roads are slated for improvement in 2016: Lake View Court, Greene Drive, Fairway Drive, Greene Court, Dunbar Drive, and Lanark Drive.
Other bond allocations include: more than $300,000 to the police department for equipment acquisitions and computer and technology upgrades; more than $250,000 to Public Works for sanitary and storm sewer improvements, as well as equipment acquisitions; more than $200,000 to Emergency Services for equipment.
Two ordinances appropriate existing funds for capital improvements. One ordinance appropriates $725,000, of which $500,000 is for municipal complex renovations. The rest is for public land and open space maintenance. The other ordinance appropriates $395,248 for the second phase of the Duck Pond Run sewer interceptor project.
Affordable housing update. Council approved a resolution supporting two state bills relating to affordable housing. The two pieces of legislation, Senate Bill S-2254 and Assembly Bill A-3821, support statewide municipalities in the latest affordable housing legal skirmish.
All municipalities in New Jersey are required to provide a “fair share” of affordable housing, but last year jurisdiction over fair share compliance has shifted from a dysfunctional state agency, the Council on Affordable Housing (COAH), to county superior courts.
The courts are in the process of determining town affordable housing obligations for the period from 1999 to 2025, but housing groups are arguing for additional obligations since COAH did not successfully issue any regulations during a “gap” period from 1999 to 2015.
The resolution states, “any retroactive ‘gap’ obligations could have significant and unfunded impacts on municipalities, may double count households under both present and prospective need and will likely result in forcing municipalities and their property taxpayers to subsidize development.”
The state appeals court recently heard testimony on the case, though a decision is expected to be subsequently appealed to the New Jersey Supreme Court.
Township volunteer appointments. Council approved the appointments of Daniel Marks, John Church, and Jyotika Bahree to the Zoning Board, and Vaibhav Sharma to the Parking Authority board.
Open space oil clean up. The township hired an engineering firm to clean up residential heating oil spillage at 174-180 Clarksville Road. Also known as the 35.42-acre Cella property, the open space parcels were acquired by the township last summer and are near the Meadow Road bridge. ACT Engineers will provide engineering services for up to $20,000.
