At a meeting of the West Windsor Council on Tuesday, October 10, the public had its say. The administration has created what Mayor Shing-Fu Hsueh has called “the most open, public process for selecting a planning consultant.”
This meeting was the forum for all interested parties to publicly share views with the council, which ultimately will decide on the firm that will create the draft plan for the township’s impending redevelopment. The public comment session at the start of the meeting lasted an hour, and the five-member council heard from residents discussing what they’d seen at public presentations by the three finalists, and how the township should handle moving forward with the decision. About 50 residents attended.
While the views expressed were widely divergent, One thing nearly everyone agreed on was that the process is a success. “This is a wonderful example of how we work together,” Said Meg Chicco, who is being considered for a volunteer position, Alternate II for the Zoning Board. “I ask you not to be swayed by a planner who says that they know us. We have a history, but this is a bout the future. I hope that the charrette process will bring out more than the same 50 people,” Said Chicco. “This is about the future. It’s not about the past.”
Listed below are other comments made by residents at the meeting:
Ima Marks, Claridge Court: “The conclusion I came to is that Bob Hillier may not be the biggest, or have done the most but I think having someone who is invested in the community will be a very valuable thing.
“Things are going to change whether we like it or not. If we don’t do something, the developers will come in and they will decide what they want and we’ll end up with a hodgepodge.”
Julia Rhodes, Scott Avenue: “I’m looking forward to the charrette process. The opportunities for learning alone, in addition to the opportunity to participate in the shaping of our town for the future, are wonderfully exciting.
“I hope that some guiding principles will guide you as you think about these developers. One would be that you are thinking about us as West Windsor. We keep saying, we’re not Hamilton, Washington, Metropark, and I hope that you think about what we are when thinking about what the scale is, and what the esthetics are.
“Please consider the issue of the integrity of our various communities. My own is Berrien City, but I’m also concerned for Penns Neck, for Sherbrooke, and for all of the communities, and even for that new Toll Brothers group. How do we maintain their integrity, particularity, and viability?
“My third criteria is the environmental issues. I know it’s expensive to build green, but it’s so important. So I hope that finding a developer that will do that will influence you when you’re making your decision.
Paul Eland, Coneflower Lane: “The presentations opened my eyes to what can be done in this township. We talk about generics like housing and infrastructure. Those are meaningless terms. We’re sitting right on top of a gold mine for the village. I can’t wait to take part in the charrettes.
“I think we should prioritize our interests. We have a good start to build on with the Alexander bridge coming in. The Vaughn Drive extension is a circulation pattern that we need. If we can get going on this instead of talking about housing, we can defer that for five years, but we can get started on other things now. Right now, the parking situation is ridiculous. We have to solve this.”
Pete Weale, Fisher Place: “I’m kind of surprised who’s not here. I take the train to the city quite frequently and I don’t see a lot of my fellow commuters here. I don’t know what that means.
“You’re basically deciding on a planner, and I don’t think you’ve defined what the need is. I realize New Jersey Transit has articulated and facilitated that need by saying ‘We need more parking.’ More parking is a complete transformation, and necessary because of the possibility of increasing the population by up to one third. If we have 25,”000 right now, and you’re looking at the possibility of adding 8-10,”000 people (that’s speculation on my part.)
“The comments by Mr. Hillier had to do with the overall economic activity at the train station. It seems there’s a possibility that it’s not going to be a net gain in terms of increased taxes. If it doesn’t have a benefit and lower our taxes, my question is, why would you do it? It does affect our quality of life to have more people here.
“I have identified about 65 quality of life issues that would make Princeton Junction and West Windsor Township infinitely more livable. Those are just my ideas, but I think each one of you has some good ideas, and I’d like to see a forum, a process so we can get these ideas in motion. Instead, over the 22 years that I have lived here, West Windsor Township has over and over again said, ‘No, this can’t be done.’ I’d like to change the paradigm, and change the ‘No’ in West Windsor to a `Yes.’”
Farrell Delman, Bear Brook Road: “Any of the three candidates could make a tremendous contribution in terms of the transit village that many of us do want to have in this town. I watched the presentations on TV, and I think it’s really good that you used the cable station for something to benefit our town.
“The public presentation process is a terribly important one and I think we’ve gotten off to a good start. The deliberation process as I understand it will be done in executive session whereas the process of presentations was done as a public process. Why not make it public? Let us know how are you all thinking in terms of priorities, so that we all, as community, get a sense of what those priorities really are.
“I’d like you all here to raise your hands if you’d like your taxes to be higher. Will you all raise your hands if you’d like more traffic? If you don’t want more traffic and you don’t want higher taxes and you know it now, why not adopt a set of principles that will clearly define what it is you’re looking for in this developer.
Finally, if you agree with the postulate that there ought to be standards, what do we really know about the candidates that are going to be selected that meet those standards? Which of the candidates is going to do the best job for the West Windsor in terms of the fiscal impact on our property taxes. Where were those questions? What do we know about their knowledge of traffic impact? Adopt some standards, and don’t wait until the charrette process. Lower traffic, less taxes, and you won’t get any fight from anyone.”
Bob Akins, 32 Windsor Drive: “My pick by far is Street-Works. I did not hear the Graves team, but as I’ve read, one of their partners is one of the founders of New Urbanism, and I don’t think that’s really what West Windsor should shoot for as a goal. We may end up having to take higher buildings than we really want. Perhaps the Grave team more than the others may want to fit West Windsor into their concept.
“Hillier is a smart man, and a wonderful speaker. He has some advantage with the material. He was an early cheerleader for the project, and he knew all the hot buttons. He touched all but one. That is the commuter. I would question some of his comments that sounded so good. `Five, 150, and 350.’ Five years was his estimate on time. Everybody here wants it done quickly. Interesting that it’s so far different timing from what everybody else thought it would take.
“One Hundred Fifty Million was his quick estimate on what it would cost, and he used a million dollars an acre for the base cost of the land. What amazes me is, if they’re planning on doing such an amazing job, why are they only using $1 million an acre? My house is on land worth a half million an acre. Why isn’t this here much more valuable? Someone on his team said, maybe 500 million, maybe a billion. I wonder if he wasn’t again saying what people wanted to hear.
“Three Hundred fifty was the number he used throughout for the number of housing units. And as I understand, early on, he was a proponent of 800 units. Maybe double that many. Some of what sounded so good, I didn’t really quite think was leaving a true impression of what we might be facing.
“He wants to move the garages away. Exactly what the commuter wants. He wants the commuter to have at least five minutes walk, so he can go by the stores. That may be nice on a good day like today, but it ain’t nice in a blizzard.
“Street-Works on the other hand, have two people on staff who have commuted by train. [Richard Heapes, founder of Street-Works] himself said, commuters don’t buy much. I think that’s true. I think that team has a little more sympathy for the commuter. That team that he’s pulled together really impresses me.
“He was not pie-in-the-sky. All the way through, he was giving caveats. In my opinion, you folks are facing an enormous task. I think Mr. Heapes could be a wonderful man to have on our side to help buffer problems with the developers before they ever get to be a problem.
George March: “It was an excellent demonstration of doing something in an informative way. Will there be any anthropology studies? This is going to take 10 years to 15 years.
“When you try to plan for a facility of that sort, you have to do some forecasting. One of the forecasting models that I’m most concerned with is the likelihood of more influence of mass transit. If the planners are right, that’s the direction we’re headed: The sheer difference of using individual cars versus using mass transit could change the entire equation of what we’re trying to solve here. So I look to the day when the east side of the railroad tracks has some form of bus transportation, and I know the mayor pointed out that he’s working with the DOT and New Jersey Transit on Route 571 trying to get mass transit to go down to Village Grande, which I support.
“What will be the transit station needs? And if we do recognize and start using them, what model will the township offer to the planners for this growth in demand? I think it might put a new load on the engineering. I hope it’s not just a public process, I’m hoping the professionals in the town can aggressively participate.”
David Siegel, Berrien Avenue: “I attended all three. I found cause for concern in each of the presentations as well as a number of positive things. I was very distressed at the emphasis on urbanization. All three presentations focused on an urban setting, particularly the Street Works presentations. He said we only work in urban places.
“I, like many people, settled here because I wanted a suburban lifestyle. Had I wanted an urban setting, I could have gone a lot of different places. I think we want planners to understand we want redevelopment to fit. Other presenters made similar comments but seemed less tied to urban areas. The Michael Graves team seemed more flexible.
“I was distressed by the comparisons by the Hillier team to public spaces in major European cities. I’ve stood in the Plaza Navona, the train station in Amsterdam, and some of the places he’s mentioned. They’re wonderful places. But that’s not what West Windsor is. It is not Rome, it is not Amsterdam, and I don’t think we want to transform West Windsor into Rome or Amsterdam.
“I was very pleased by the open resident process of the charrette idea promised by each candidate. I liked the more flexible idea presented by Hillier, and to a lesser extent the Street-Works, and by the Graves team.
“There was little mention of increased parking spaces to accommodate the long waiting list, or increased traffic generated by additional housing.
“This is of vital importance. Street-Works mentioned the addition of a library or town hall rather than the addition of a retail complex. We already have a fine library and town hall in this complex here. Why should we spend money to re-create either of these, we’re doing just fine as we are.
“I was concerned because SW was responsible for the vision study sponsored by New Jersey Transit, and they said NJT was a constituent in this redevelopment. I fear they might be influenced by the views on NJT, whereas we want what’s best for West Windsor. Even doing nothing might be better than doing what NJT wants. Street-Works seemed contemptuous of green design ideas; other candidates seemed to consider them a plus.
“The Graves team seemed to see it as essential, and those ideas are a very good thing for West Windsor. Street-Works seemed very focused on creating a design that would be favorable to a developer, and I’m concerned that would create a plan made for a developer-oriented wish list, not in our best interests.
“If it’s not the one most favored by a developer, it will be profitable enough that a developer will be most interested indeed. I don’t want to sacrifice our best interests to increase developer’s profits.
“Hillier is perhaps too close to the issue. His long-term presence here could be a conflict of interest.
“I’d prefer to mix and match parts of their presentations, but we can’t do that. My recommendation to council would be to select the Graves team, followed by the Hillier team. I think either would be better for the township than Street Works.”
John Roeder, Washington Road: “I want to speak on behalf of the openness of the proceedings. It’s been very good so far, I would like to have it go the same way it does at the zoning board meetings. Tonight is the end of public hearing, but at the zoning board meeting, our deliberations are still open to the public. I look at this in terms of something that’s going to greatly effect the future for all of us. It’s important to have all the stakeholders on board with it. That means all the citizens of West Windsor. This is going to be a big change, and I’d like to put in my bid to make sure the public is included in understanding the rationale.
“I’d like to put in my bid for two things. I hope the redevelopment will lead to a town center for all of West Windsor. Not just for the commuters at the station.
“As a resident of Penns Neck, I have seen the congestion in front of my house get heavier, and I am so concerned about any further congestion getting worse as a result of more housing. I know if you put housing in this area, you cannot guarantee that it is all going to be for people commuting on the train.”
Allison Miller, Windsor Drive: “Deliberation takes place in public because this is a public body. But contract negotiations don’t take place in public. What I’m asking you to do is let the public know not just what you are doing, but why. If you could have a taped session where you did some deliberation in public, I think with a rebroadcast, people could watch and learn what the deliberations are and why you’re going into closed session. I do hope that you will figure out something that is not an all or nothing process. So we can figure out what you’re not saying in public, why you’re not saying it in public, and as soon as you can make that public, please do.”
Joe O’Shea, Windsor Haven: “Many feel that West Windsor is a suburban community and that’s what they moved here for. I welcome additional housing, housing that people can afford. We need that part of the community. Those are the schoolteachers, those are the policemen, those are the people that provide the services that a wealthy community demands. We have a community that is maturing and that needs public workers. I appreciate that many people came to town seeking suburban lifestyle, I’m the first person that worries about the traffic, but I’m asking the community to think about a way to get people we need to have here be able to afford to live here.”
