A lot has changed since “Phase One.” In the six weeks since the last redevelopment meeting, a new council has been sworn in, Hillier Architects has merged with another company, the township has decided to get a new redevelopment lawyer, and a developer has pledged $1.5 to keep the project from being stalled. Welcome to “Phase Two.”##M:[more]##
West Windsor re-started its redevelopment process again on July 13 with a meeting of the steering committee, which decided that the best way to get the public interested in the project again is to hold more meetings. The township is expected to schedule four public education meetings, each focusing on a different aspect of the redevelopment plan. The meetings are likely to begin this fall. Exact dates are expected to be set at the next steering committee meeting, which is scheduled for Friday, July 27. No time has yet been set.
The steering committee members are Mayor Shing-Fu Hsueh, Planning Board Chairman Marvin Gardner, and council members Heidi Kleinman and George Borek, who recently replaced Linda Geevers. They met with Hillier and Bradley Walters, an architect from the firm who is also a West Windsor resident, and formerly a member of the West Windsor Planning Board.
Despite a council decision to hire separate legal counsel for the redevelopment, township attorney Michael Herbert was included in the meeting. Herbert is expected to relinquish his duties concerning the redevelopment once the township decides on who will fill the position. (See related story on page 14.)
Also attending the meeting, though just as an observer, was developer Steve Goldin, who has offered to take over the process by staging more charrettes. (See related story on page 15.) Goldin’s company, Intercap Holdings, owns 25 acres in the redevelopment zone. He pledged $1.5 million to support another charrette, saying the township did not spend enough on the process the first time.
Hsueh seems to agree that the first charrettes were underfunded. “We need to budget more to make sure we do it right. We need to get recommendations and cost estimates for what we want to do.” said Hsueh. “The $330,”000 we originally approved is not going to be enough.”
In fact, the township paid Hillier Architects $330,”000 for its part in designing the plan. It budgeted an additional $70,”000 for the other expenses involved, such as legal representation and public outreach. There has been no public discussion on the amount the township will spend on the next set of meetings.
Herbert says the township’s contract with Hillier will have to be amended. The original contract stated that for $330,”000, Hillier would hold three charrettes and would give the final public presentation in the fall. The latest course of action will require more time.
The newest member of the committee asked the question that spurred the meeting’s most informative debate. “Where does New Jersey Transit stand?,” asked George Borek.
New Jersey Transit is the redevelopment area’s most significant land owner. Gardner called on the entity to become more involved in the process. “They stand to gain the most from this project, more than the township. They have been on the sidelines while we’re taking a beating here,” said Gardner. “I think the community’s level of confidence in the project will increase if residents learn from New Jersey Transit what they want to make of this.”
Both Hillier Architects and the mayor have held meetings with NJ Transit throughout the process. “They have stayed quiet,” said Hsueh. “They were afraid residents would think this was a state-run project if they were too involved. They have sent representatives to each of the meetings, but they knew this should be decided by the residents.”
“New Jersey Transit says they want to help,” said Hillier. “But they need certain things, and I know what that is. They want us to get the parking off their land so something else can go there. They have very valuable land and they want to realize the maximum revenue from their land.”
Jack Kanarek, the senior director of project development for New Jersey Transit, has attended all of the public planning meetings for the project. He confirms that NJ Transit’s goals for the project include moving the surface parking to structures so it might realize better value for the property it owns at the train station.
“We feel that we have taken an appropriate role in the process to date. Our position in land use planning is to try to work closely with the township. I can’t emphasize enough that the planning is in the township’s hands. It was the township’s choice to have an open public process, and we support that.”
Kanarek says NJ Transit favors the concept of creating a transit village with housing in the redevelopment area. “We definitely support the concept,” said Kanarek.
“We have a number of goals for the project,” says Kanarek. “The first is to maintain and improve the public transportation functions of the station. We support Hillier in his goal to create a great place that would encompass the station and serve the township. We are very supportive of mixed use development around our station facilities.”
Meanwhile, at a July 9 council meeting, councilman Charles Morgan and Hsueh continued squabbling. “Hillier told me that he had been asked to build a transit village,” said Morgan.
When the company was asked for a response, Walters wrote: “In that particular discussion with Mr. Morgan, Bob used the term ‘transit village’ and ‘redevelopment plan’ interchangeably.”
Morgan responded: “For a professional in the business to use those terms interchangeably is a disservice to the community. The two aren’t the same. He should be doing all he can to minimize confusion, and to maximize community awareness.”
Morgan said he believes Hillier may have been instructed to include a transit village in the redevelopment plan. “I think it’s a reasonable inference for me to think he got that direction from the mayor, or maybe from the steering committee,” said Morgan.
