The West Windsor Township Council held its second extended public comment, or “open mic” session on Monday, July 16. Nearly all of the public’s comments concerned redevelopment. A sample are included below:##M:[more]##
Jennifer MacLeod, Canoebrook Drive: I’m a retired survey professional. I believe in surveys, but I believe this is not the time to do it. There needs to be a well-developed plan, and then you can conduct a survey on it.
Nancy Kieling, Fisher Place: The excitement was palpable at the first charrette. But after that, the naysayers had the loudest voices. I worked hard to separate what would be best for me and for my street to see what would be for the greater good of the township. I urge everyone to take the long view on this.
Michael Lynch: I don’t think the idea of the big bowl is going to happen. Post-9/11, I don’t see them permitting an 80-foot penetration beneath the very critical train tracks there.
Chinwe Nutter, Washington Avenue: Let’s try to lure people who would occupy these buildings to Alexander Commons, which has sat empty for so long. Whatever the township decides to do, I hope traffic control is a part of it.
Kyndle Alig, Washington Avenue: I think we need to look at all we’re trying to do with Route 571. It is a main artery through the area. How are you going to make it retail-friendly, pedestrian-friendly, bike-friendly when so many cars are traveling through there?
Bob Akens, Windsor Drive: I am opposed to the redevelopment on principle. And the more numbers that have come out, the more questions I have. Nobody has mentioned that Quaker Bridge Mall is increasing in size by 50 percent. What kind of an effect will that have on the retail demand? We need to do a survey as soon as possible, and it needs to have one main question: Do people want to go ahead with this project?
Alison Miller: I listen to people talk about the survey, and I think I’m hearing discussion of two different surveys. The council has to make a decision. Is this a survey about “What do we want?” or is it about “Do we want this?”
Jennifer McLeod, speaking again: Alison makes a good point. We are talking about two surveys. It’s impossible to do a quantitative survey on what people want. The only way to achieve it is focus groups. We have done something close to that with the charrettes. It’s already been done.
Jim Burke, Ellsworth Drive: We need to be able to get a real sense of cost. You can’t make sweeping generalizations. Have the analyses audited by someone who can say if it is correct. It will be your undoing if the cost justifications are not carefully done.
Arthur Harvey, 8 Berrien Avenue: I have gotten the sense that not everyone who spoke out against the plan was against it completely. People who had objections to particular parts of it came across like they were against the whole project. It would be a mistake to get rid of Hillier. Let’s get started on this again.
Michael Rosenberg: The process is becoming like it’s a transit village or nothing. We should be able to choose what we do. The parking should be self-funded. People want a main street.
