At a special meeting on October 22 the West Windsor Zoning Board approved two applications: a ping-pong center and a martial arts studio
Princeton Pong, owned by West Windsor resident Flint Lane, will be housed in the back of an existing warehouse building located at 745 Alexander Road (across from Roszel Road). The building backs up to the Dinky railroad tracks.
According to township land use manager Sam Surtees, the center will hold 10 ping-pong tables and will cater mainly to adults. “Kids can certainly use the center, but currently the owner will not be offering any amenities for children, so it is envisioned that in the beginning, it will be used mainly by adults. This may change in the future. The center will be open daily, with the highest usage occurring in the evenings and on weekends.”
“This was a very straight-forward application,” he continued. “At the request of a residential neighbor, Zoning Board curtailed the closing hours so that the center will close at 11 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays and midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. Otherwise the Zoning Board had no additional changes and approved the application.” The center will utilize the existing offices and will require very little in the way of renovation, so Surtees estimates that the ping-pong center would be ready to open in the next few months.
The Zoning Board also approved an application from BVCI Associates to open a martial arts studio at 51 Everett Drive. The studio has been operating for the past 25 years on Farber Road as the Princeton Academy of Martial Arts. “They are unable to renew their lease there, so they have asked to move to one of the warehouse buildings on Everett Drive. Longtime owner Rick Tucci is retiring, so they will have a new owner, Michael Lee, as well,” said Surtees. The new site is preferred by the owner, Surtees said, “because it is on this side of Route 1 and nearer to the center of West Windsor, which is where the majority of their clients live. It is a win-win for them and the town.”
“They will be open seven days a week, and will offer adult and child classes, but the majority of their classes are for adults. The students’ average age is 38,” noted Surtees. “The average class size is 25, and there should be no more than 40. Again, there is very little renovation work to be done, and none to the exterior of the building or the parking lot. This application was approved by the Zoning Board, and will likely open in the near future.”
Surtees explained that the ping-pong center and the martial arts studio are just two examples of a recent trend of recreational entities seeking to move into warehouse space in West Windsor.
“Therefore, the Zoning Board is going to issue a recommendation to the township Planning Board to allow recreational entities to move into existing warehouse space without needing a variance, which can cost owners a minimum of $3,000 for the permit, plus attorney’s fees, expert costs, and architectural plans. Not requiring them to seek a variance would save them time and money, and since the vast majority are approved anyway, it would seem to make sense. Plus, warehouses built in the ’60s and ’70s are no longer large enough to serve as warehouses, so turning them into recreational space makes sense,” he said.
“The Zoning Board is listening to the needs of the business community. They are trying to decrease the backlog and make the process smoother. To that end, the Zoning Board will likely set up two regular meetings per month starting in 2014. The meetings will tentatively be scheduled for the first and fourth Thursdays. Having two regularly scheduled meetings should enable people to plan accordingly and should help shorten the process. The Zoning Board members are willing to volunteer more of their time to make sure this happens,” Surtees added.
Planning Board. The October 23 meeting of the West Windsor Planning Board was canceled. The next meeting will be Wednesday, November 6
The Site Plan Review Advisory Board meetings scheduled for Mondays, October 28 and November 11, have been canceled. The next meeting for will be Monday, November 25, at 7:30 p.m.
Parking Lot Opening. The new 600-car commuter parking lot on Alexander Road near Vaughn Drive is expected to be open by December 1. The project is a joint effort of West Windsor Township and the West Windsor Parking Authority. According to a township press release, “this additional parking will erase long standing waiting lists, provide reasonably priced parking permits for township residents, and reduce wait time for new applicants to a reasonably predictable period of less than one year.”
The Parking Authority’s website (www.westwindsorpa.com) will provide information about parking permits and other details about the new lot while the authority will be issuing permit invitations to township residents on waiting lists. Questions should be directed to the Parking Authority at info@westwindsorpa.com or 609-799-3130.
