In this fall’s municipal election, Plainsboro committee members Neil Lewis and Nuran Nabi are running for re-election unopposed. Lewis has served on the committee since 1995, and as deputy mayor since 1998. In February he was inducted into the Elected Officials’ Hall of Fame by the NJ State League of Municipalities. Nabi has been a committee member since 2007, and he has previously served on the Planning Board and the Human Relations Committee.
The News’ municipal reporter, Vincent Xu, interviewed Lewis and Nabi, who are expected to serve on the township committee from 2016 to 2018.
#b#Why are you running for re-election?#/b#
Nuran Nabi: I want to continue to serve the people of Plainsboro. I’ve been doing this since 2007. I enjoy it and I think I’m doing my best to help the people.
Neil Lewis: I’m running for re-election because I would like to see the continuing of achievements of our community to be sustained. This is my 21st year on township committee, and in this period of time, we’ve made tremendous progress under the strong leadership of Mayor Peter Cantu, and the township committee who are committed to the best interests in the community. I am happy to continue this, and we have not changed our goals to make sure Plainsboro is a town where people are proud to be residents and raise their children.
#b#What achievements are you proud of?#/b#
NN: I served on the Human Relations Committee. As you know, the old library is now the recreation center and it is a unique township resource. We have rooms for conferences and cultural activities. I’m proud of these cultural center activities.
We work as a team under the leadership of Mayor Cantu. A lot of things have been accomplished the last 10 years. I was a Planning Board members when the University Medical Center was under consideration.
NL: The library was completed in 2012. The recreation and cultural center was opened in the last four years. We have a lot of options offered in the arts and recreation area. There are summer camps and programs for seniors, these have been expanded to provide great depths to all members of the community. We’ve been able to maintain one of the lowest municipal tax rates in the area and we’ve had a controlled budget, which has maintained a AAA bond rating.
Development is closely monitored by the Planning Board and development review committee. While we are essentially built out in residential development, more than 50 percent of Plainsboro is preserved open space.
The hospital redevelopment site has made Plainsboro a center of health and research. In the past few years alone, we’ve had Sandos and Novo Nordisk move in. WuXi Pharmaceutical has selected Plainsboro for its North American HQ. Clearly we continue to be an attractive community for people to move to.
#b#What are future goals of the township committee?#/b#
NN: We would like to continue responsible budget management. Also small things like fixing potholes on time. It’s a small thing but our main goal is to improve the quality of life for people in the township. Stuff like bicycle lanes, and also big facilities like the library.
And we want to bring a supermarket into the township. My wife complains about having to drive out, the mayor’s wife complains. It is out of our hands, but we are doing all that we can to bring in a supermarket.
NL: The quality of life has been recognized by many in Plainsboro. We’ve been having a good time in maintaining open space, increasing the park system. We’re looking at continuing improvements in services and facilities available.
The Plainsboro Preserve, while it has been there for a long time, in Central Jersey to have 1,000 acres of woodlands and the educational center, it’s all very important.
We want to reopen the Wicoff House as an educational center sometime in 2016. It should be kept as an important part of our town’s history, it was a home to one of the first mayors of Plaisnboro and it has a very interesting collection.
#b#What are future challenges the township faces?#/b#
NL: The biggest challenges we have are working toward managing traffic and trying to get better commercial representation in the Plainsboro Plaza. Ever since we had Superfresh leave, the mayor has had meetings with the new ownership, Onyx Equities, but nobody has really committed to that space. It is Onyx’s private property to deal with, but the township is working closely to try to assist them to attract a tenant, sending letters of invitation.
When it comes to traffic, we are the main east-west corridor for travel through this part of New Jersey. Route 130 to Route 1 is essentially connected through Dey Road. We get a lot of traffic through there. We have made improvements at the Scudders Mill and Schalks Crossing intersections. We have some of the largest intersections in the state if you look at the number of lanes.
There is up to two miles of Route 1 that goes through Plainsboro. We have regular meetings with towns in the Route 1 corridor, but unless we get funding from the state we will continue to have challenges. Until the state is willing to do something with the transportation trust fund, it’s nice to talk about underpasses and overpasses, but the money is not there. We have approvals for improving Schalks Crossing bridge but we can’t do anything because you’re talking about a multi-million-dollar project.
For Route 1 through Plainsboro, it would be nice if it were wider. When traffic backs up, it is usually is backed up from points from beyond Plainsboro, and it has more to do with traffic lights which we don’t have in Plainsboro. I think getting through Plainsboro is easier than other central New Jersey communities, and we’re still looking for ways to make it better.
#b#Earlier this year, the mayor also said affordable housing was a challenge for the township?#/b#
NN: The state has given the mandate for courts to supervise it. We have affordable housing in our town, and we will go by the guidelines of the state. The main problem is ours is a small town area-wise. We already have more than 50 percent open space. We have to think critically about new construction, whether it is affordable or other kinds of housing.
NL: We have met all the requirements in all the early stages. We have made allowance for affordable housing and we have very little area where housing can be developed.
We’ve met our requirements so far. We think we’ve been very careful with planning and we don’t think it will bring large amounts of housing in the future. We don’t see any significant demands that will be made to force the development of new housing. We’ve been deliberate in planning, but there’s really no major residential development with the exception of the effort to bring in a mixed use component in the Forrestal center. That will be 300 plus rental apartments, and 20 percent are affordable units.
#b#Unlike in 2012, this year you are running unopposed. Is the presence of healthy competition a good thing?#/b#
NN: Competition is always good. Without opposition, democracy will not flourish. We can hear what needs to be done. Citizens will hopefully bring up issues. In this case when there is no candidate, we try to get feedback from the township people. We always welcome opponents, and this year there is none, but we will always get feedback.
NL: I think it’s always good to have opposition. It lets you, in a different way, have more of an exchange of ideas. It gives us an opportunity to look back and see whether we do things well. We do get a lot of opportunity to get feedback.
We will be going door-to-door to talk to people and get feedback and make sure to get things right. We’re always interested in reaching out. We’ve had an active township committee. In no way have any of us to reduced our commitment to make this a better place for us all.
#b#How long do you intend to serve on committee?#/b#
NN: My motto for joining the township committee is to serve the people. As long as I have the time commitment to serve people I will continue, and the most important thing is as long as I feel people support me and I can contribute, I would like to continue.
NL: As long as there is continuing support on the part of the community. When Dr. Nabi and I ran last time we were humbled to have 70 percent of the vote. As long as people are comfortable with us, we are willing to work hard.
We love Plainsboro, we think we have a great town, and if I can continue to be of service that would continue to please me.
#b#We have been asking this question for years, and since it is election season we are still wondering: has Mayor Cantu indicated how long he is going to serve?#/b#
NN: No he did not. We are amazed at his leadership and how much he cares for Plainsboro. As long as he expresses his desire to continue, personally I will support him. He is in good health and he works hard for the township. As long he wants to do it and the people support him, we will continue to support him.
NL: I don’t know. We reorganize each year under the township committee form of government. Mayor Cantu has been selected by the township committee. I am always pleased when he indicates he is willing to do this. He is very active, very hands on, very effective.
From my position, anytime he is indicates he is interested in serving, we are delighted. We do have an experienced township committee, and we are delighted he continues to serve. The mayor’s term ends in 2017. I think he’ll do what all of us do, when you get to that point, he will ask himself is this something I should do that will benefit the community and something I can commit to? Mayor Cantu deserves enormous credit.
