A concept plan for a village shopping center in the triangular corner of Princeton-Hightstown and Southfield roads and McGetrick Lane has the Planning Board looking into the feasibility of rezoning the entire 24-acre zone that includes that corner.
Board members had particular reservations about the specific proposal put out by Scokim Enterprises — particularly the density of the retail proposed there, traffic concerns surrounding McGetrick Lane, and a fear that the development would not be sufficiently diverse to offset existing and already-approved shopping centers nearby.
But at this stage, they are not looking at the specific site plans for the Scokim proposal, Planning Board Chairman Marvin Gardner has said. Instead, he has given the board’s professionals instructions to review the entire P-1 zone, where, since its creation 17 years ago, development has not taken place. A change in the zoning would also require an amendment to the Master Plan.
In addition to the 3.9-acre site owned by Scokim, there are 21 undeveloped acres owned by WWM Properties — who officials say have no development plans for those additional 21 acres — in the zone. WWM already has approved plans to build a shopping center on the other corner of the intersection, but construction has been delayed by contamination concerns (see story above).
The discussion stemmed from a presentation by Scokim Enterprises on October 17, asking the board to consider creating a separate category within the P-1 zone for the site, which sits directly opposite of the Southfield Shopping Center and Valero, to allow for a planned neighborhood center. The developer has not submitted an official application, but was first seeking direction from the board.
The developer’s concept plan includes construction of three commercial buildings at the site. One of the buildings would stand two stories high with an area of 15,355 square feet. A second 9,335 square-foot building — and a 3,472-square foot bank with drive-thru wedged between the two — would both stand at one story. Currently, the site houses five existing single-family units, 4 detached garages and a two-story metal pole barn. Scokim has already purchased and assembled the lots.
In order to build its proposed West Windsor Village Center, Scokim would need a variety of variances, and instead of having to apply for all of the variances, the developer wants the property rezoned.
The zone, which primarily encourages commercial office space, currently only allows up to 10 percent of the development on the site to be retail, and while it permits banks, it does not permit them to have drive-thrus. Scokim is also looking to construct the buildings closer to the road, with a proposed setback of 35 feet from Princeton-Hightstown Road and 20 feet from Southfield Road. The zone requires a limit of 50 feet for both. A clock tower proposed for the site stands at 40 feet tall, when the limit height for anything is 35 feet.
But Mike Mueller, a planner for Scokim, said the developer believes the case could be made that the village would be unique for the area, particularly because of the village-like architecture of the buildings, and because those buildings would be closer to the road to block the view of the parking lot, which will be located behind them. Many other shopping centers pull the buildings farther from the road and use berms and heavy landscaping instead, he said.
In addition, “banks these days traditionally have drive-thru facilities,” said Mueller. “We think it could be introduced on the site in a way that it can be attractive.” And the proposal offers off-street parking, on- and off-site sidewalks, outdoor patios, and seating areas.
Mueller said what makes his case stronger for rezoning is that the site is surrounded by existing roadways and is separated from the rest of the zone. “The remainder of the P-1 zone south of McGetrick provides for a more than adequate land use buffer and land use transition between homes located in the R-1A zone district and our site,” he added.
The Planning Board’s professionals had varying opinions on rezoning the area. Township Planner John Madden told the board he believed the current zoning, as it affects the property, is not effective.
Rather than creating simply a specific category within the P-1 zone to allow for the developer’s plans, the board, if interested, should look at the whole zone comprehensively, he advised. He said he thought there was some merit in considering the proposal because he sees the area as a service area that could serve some value. He also requested that if the board were to go this route, there should also be a market study completed to show that the current amount of retail in this area is not sufficient. Another option, he said, is that the developer create a plan with lesser density, but that it be permitted to have more retail.
“There is some merit in their arguments,” he said. “(It’s been) 17 years, and this thing has not moved.”
Township landscape architect Dan Dobromilsky and traffic consultant Ted Ehrlich, however, took issue with the specific site plans.
Dobromilski said he did not think the developer’s proposal was unique, as they had claimed, and that “the rationale contradicted the direction this community has been going.” His concern is that other areas of the P-1 zone are also surrounded by roadways, and Scokim’s arguments could be used by other developers who want to build in other areas of the P-1 zone.
Allowing the rezoning would be “setting this up for the business zone to march right across this field,” Dobromilsky said. And when the Southfield Road shopping center across the street was proposed, there was evidence that residents in that area of the township wanted a shopping center nearby. He said he has not heard of this being the case now, he added.
Traffic Engineer Ted Ehrlich also brought up his concern that the development would cause traffic problems, particularly concerning McGetrick Lane, if the developer’s plan was approved.
Planning Board members also weighed in on the proposal, saying they didn’t want to see any more banks be placed in the area, as there are many located within the township, and on Route 571, already. They also said they would like to see more diversity in the area. Some, including Gardner, said they wanted to see high-end restaurants be established there. They also wanted to see more mixed uses, and perhaps some requirements that specific amounts of square footage be mapped out for those uses before any plans are approved.
Mayor Shing-Fu Hsueh also said he would like to see the property, if plans for a development were to move forward, include pedestrian-friendly routes.
No formal plans for the site have been submitted, the professionals will be looking at the zoning from different perspectives, reviewing the issues the Planning Board has raised, and seeing if they can find a way to accommodate the township’s needs with respect to the development of the property. In doing that, they also will be communicating with WWM to see what their plans are for their 21 acres and with Scokim, as the process moves forward.
There are a few possibilities that can occur, Gardner says. The township can rezone the area anyway, even if WWM does not wish to discuss development, or if Scokim pulls out, he said. Or, the zone could just simply remain the way it is.
“The issue is — are we ready to do a rezoning?” Gardner said.
