Mayor Shing-Fu Hsueh and J. Robert Hillier are slated to speak at the Thursday, June 14 Mercer Regional Chamber of Commerce luncheon. The topic: “The Business of Redevelopment.”##M:[more]##
By that time, the two could be running a victory lap—or marching in a funeral procession. The luncheon will be preceded by a meeting in West Windsor that could determine the project’s outcome.
The township elected to have the June 4 presentation of redevelopment plans in the school’s auditorium due to the large expected turnout for what could be a major turning point in the township’s ongoing planning project.
In which direction will the process turn? This time, it may be up to the township’s residents. Charles Morgan has suggested that a negative public reaction to Hillier’s plan presentation will necessitate starting again with a new charrette process. In correspondence with opponents of the transit village, Morgan wrote: “”Trust me. The faux open process that we have experienced is about to end. Everything has changed with the election results. We WILL have an open process going forward that WILL take us back several steps unless there is a public outcry of acclimation following the June 4 joint Council/Planning Board meeting.””
A positive reaction, however, will take the plans forward to the review process, including presentations to the planning board, zoning board, site plan review advisory board, and the township council, severally.
The June 4 meeting will be before the planning board and council, jointly. It appears as though a second meeting will be necessary to complete the presentation, due to the large expected public turnout and the 13 people on the two entities, all of whom will have a chance to ask questions.
While everyone will ask questions, no one will vote. Councilman Charles Morgan and planner J. Robert Hillier met on May 31. “I told him that I thought that the Council and Planning Board cannot vote on these plans that will be presented June 4, that we have to step back and reopen the process for the public,” said Morgan. “We agreed that we have to wait and see how June 4 goes before reaching any conclusions but that we should discuss “process” on June 4 as well as the plans. At least, I think we agreed.”
Hillier said the 90-minute meeting was “very constructive and very helpful, and we’re now looking ahead to June 4.”
According to Hillier architect and West Windsor resident Bradley Walters: “On June 4, we’ll be providing new information, information about the scope and scale of the project for a whole range of options. What we’d like to get out of the 4th is really to just get some feedback – did we get it right? Is there some consensus? We are going to be sharing some 3-D views or renderings of the project as we envision it and we hope they elicit some response. But coming into this meeting was we’re really looking for is feedback, feedback from the council, the planning board and the public so that we know where to go next.”
The June 4 meeting begins at 7 p.m.
The June 14 luncheon will take place from 11:30 to 1:30 at the Conference Center at NJHA, 760 Alexander Road, Princeton. Following the speakers there will be a short question and answer period. For registration information and to pay online, visit www.mercerchamber.org. Cost of this luncheon is $35 for Mercer Regional Chamber of Commerce members in advance, $40 for members at the door, and $55 for non-members.
