There may be four newcomers running for council in this year’s West Windsor municipal election, but the issues are the same as they’ve been for more than a decade — development, traffic, taxes, and government communications with residents.##M:[more]##
Facing off against each other in the May 10 election to two seats on council are George Borek and David Siegel — members of the Openness, Integrity, Action slate along with Alison Miller running for mayor, against Linda Geevers and Heidi Kleinman — who have teamed with incumbent mayor Shing-Fu Hsueh on the Community Vision team.
With Miller running for mayor, and Councilwoman Jackie Alberts opting not to run again, the election will result in two new faces on township council. None of the four has ever held an elected municipal office, although Geevers served two three-year terms on the West Windsor-Plainsboro Board of Education.
Also, for the first time in recent township history, the current members of council have banded together to publicly endorse a slate of candidates. Council President Franc Gambatese, Kristin Appelget, and Charles Morgan have each thrown their support behind Hsueh, Geevers, and Kleinman.
The candidates for mayor were featured in the April 1 issue of the News. Here are their council running mates, profiled in alphabetical order:
George Borek
Borek, 45, and his wife, Kimberly, are four-year residents of Wellington Drive in the Wellington Estates West development. He has two children, a 22-month-old son, and an 18-month-old daughter.
Borek works as a firefighter in Jersey City, and serves as secretary of Firefighters Union Local 1066. He has also served on the union’s executive board, and as vice president.
Born and raised in Jersey City, Borek was a member of the Jersey City Zoning Board, New Jersey vice president in the International Association of Firefighters, and vice president of the New Jersey Firefighters Ski race, raising money for the Saint Barnabas Burn Center in Livingston.
His father was born in United States and his mother immigrated from Poland in 1958 and gained her American citizenship. His father, now deceased, worked at General Motors and his mother was a stay-at-home mom. When her children grew older she worked as a seamstress.
Borek graduated from Dickinson High School in Jersey City and worked at a number of odd jobs, including a moving company, and on fishing boats out of Belmar. When he was in his early 20s, a neighbor told him that Jersey City was looking for firefighters. Borek took the firefighters exam and was hired several months later when his was 22 years old in 1982.
In 2001 Borek and his wife, Kimberly, an attorney, moved to West Windsor from Jersey City. “My wife’s family lives in Princeton, and we would always come down here to see the family. One day we looked around the area to look at some of the houses that were on the market. Later, we went out with a real estate agent and put an offer on the house we live in today.”
In addition to his career as a Jersey City firefighter, Borek has also been involved in the firefighters union for some 20 years. He says his dealings with city officials while doing union work has helped spark his interest in local government.
“I had to interact with city government and saw how they had to deal with fiscal problems while trying to provide funding for the fire department. A lot of times we had to work with administration to come up with a remedy when they had budget gaps. Jersey City has had problems. It was a decaying city and people were moving out. Slowly but surely, I saw how the city was able to come back, and today it’s a mecca there.”
“I learned over the years that you need to get involved and be a part of the community,” says Borek. “I want to take some of the knowledge I’ve gained and use that to make the community better, and move along some of the issues in West Windsor.”
“I’m used to a town where we can take the kids out to dinner and somewhere afterwards. Other towns around us progressing in that manner but we’re not that far advanced in getting a town center established,” says Borek, “West Windsor has an enormous amount of green space. People have paid for it. Why don’t we use more of it? We can do things like making hiking trails through the woods. The kids in school could have a day trip to a nature trail and build birdhouses. When I was in the city, I loved going on trips like that.”
Borek says the Hsueh administration takes too much time studying issues and not enough taking action. “We have to get things moving forward and set our sights on getting things accomplished. We have to make the community a better place and involve everyone in decision-making processes. West Windsor is a great place, but I would like to make it better than it is today. We need people who say, ‘let’s go out and get this done.’”
He also says the township should be involved in more long-term planning. “Pick three things you want to get accomplished this year and do them. If I’m elected to council, I will work to decide what’s important this year and then to get them done. The residents are the ones who are getting gypped in all of this. They elect you because they want you to get things accomplished — not only to talk about things because it’s election time.
“This isn’t about being a Democrat, Republican, or an independent. It’s being about being the CEO of a company. In business, they set their goals for the year. They ask how to accomplish things and get them done. Conducting study after study is basically a stall tactic. You’ve had it in your mind that you don’t want anything to change.”
Borek says that the future of Route 571 is one “hot button issue” that needs attention now. An accident in February in which a pedestrian was killed by a car while crossing the stretch between Alexander and Clarksville roads drives home that point.
Currently, the township is working with Mercer County to develop a plan for widening the road in the Princeton Junction business district. Earlier this month, the county announced plans to make safety improvements to the highway.
“A tragedy that occurred there, and you can’t wait until the next incident occurs,” says Borek. “I come from a different mentality, coming from the city. When you have a safety problem, you take care of it right away.”
Another one of the major question marks facing West Windsor is the fate of the former American Cyanamid tract — now owned by General Growth Properties. The 640-acre parcel, bounded by Route 1, Quakerbridge and Clarksville roads, has changed hands several times in recent years and has been identified as one of the most desirable undeveloped properties in central New Jersey.
“I would like to see a smart mixture of development. Something that will not adversely impact the community, but yet will bring in ratables. The first question to look at is whether the infrastructure can handle it. We need to let whoever develops the site bear the burden of those costs rather that taxpayers.”
Another Route 1 issue is the possibility of the University Medical Center at Princeton relocating to a site on the highway in West Windsor. Earlier this year hospital officials decided to leave their site in Princeton Borough and build a new hospital. Most officials agree that the only viable properties for a new medical center are on Route 1.
Borek says he favors the idea. “From a person who’s been in fire services for 20 years, I know that having a hospital here would be inherently beneficial for community. If someone in my family is having a medical emergency, getting them to the hospital as quickly as possible is good.”
He adds that before making a final decision, the hospital should involve the community more in its discussions. “I know they’ve had some talks with administration. The hospital, right now, should have an open meeting with the residents. You have to take the community into consideration and involve them. When they understand what’s involved, you can alleviate some of the fears they may have in regard to it.”
Borek says he is unhappy with the relationship between township government and its residents. “There’s no communication. The public is left out of the decision-making process. If you bring everyone to the table they can help come up with ideas, or a resolution of which way you need to go. If the administration has ideas, it should spread them throughout community. Once you do that, people will come back and give you the good, bad, and indifferent.”
“When I’m out on the campaign trail,” he says, “people can’t believe that someone’s knocking on their door and is listening to what their ideas are. It’s like these people have been taken out of the process when they should have been involved.”
Borek offers a novel idea for soliciting residents’ input — suggestion boxes in heavily-traveled locations throughout the township. “I would like to put boxes at ball fields, parks, supermarkets, and the train station. It would be very easy for people to put notes in the suggestion box. The township could pick them up once a week and see what the community is talking about. It would let them see that their elected officials are listening.”
“I’d pay for the boxes myself,” he adds. “You have to get the people to believe in government. Let them know that their ideas and thoughts aren’t wasted.”
“This isn’t about me getting elected,” Borek says. “it’s about getting the community involved and achieving the plans that we have. It’s not about one person taking all the credit. One person can’t solve all the problems in the community. The government has to have an open door and uncontentious interaction with people.”
Borek says township voters should ask themselves a question. “What has been accomplished in the last four years? It comes down to the fact that some issues are more important than others, and those issues are the ones that need to be addressed now.”
Linda Geevers
Geevers, 45, is a 10-year resident of the township and has three daughters attending WW-P schools. She and her husband, Neil, live in the Hunters Run development.
This month she finishes her second three-year term on the School Board. She has served as board vice president for three years, chaired several school district labor negotiations committees, and was chair of the administration and facilities committee for two years. Geevers holds a degree in communication arts from Cornell University, which she earned in 1981.
After college she worked at RKO Radio Networks in New York City as a newsroom supervisor and then at various radio stations in North Carolina and in New Jersey as a reporter/producer. In the late 1980s she pursued a real estate career in Oradell for seven years.
“I am running for council because I believe that I can provide new leadership and a unique point of view after having been a pivotal part of the school board,” says Geevers. “My experience on the district’s Strategic Planning Core Team will be beneficial. As we head towards full build-out, we need to create a township vision that is shared by all residents.”
According to Geevers, the major concern on the minds of township residents is taxes. “In New Jersey, there is an over-reliance on property taxes to fund municipal and school obligations. There needs to be a better balance between commercial and residential development in order to align public costs with revenues. With our current tax base being 30 percent commercial and 70 percent residential, there’s too much of a burden being placed on residential owners. Aggressively recruiting and securing quality ratables will give relief to taxpayers.”
Safety is another issue. “Prioritized traffic studies need to be completed as soon as possible so that improvements can commence,” says Geevers. “Since many of our roads are county controlled, it’s also important to have a good rapport with county leaders in order to secure funding for the necessary improvements. Another priority is to limit any adverse impacts from traffic routes and congestion in order to preserve our neighborhoods.”
Geevers says she supports the construction of the Vaughn Drive Connector — a road planned by the state to extend Vaughn Drive through the train station to connect Washington and Alexander roads — to minimize congestion in the Penns Neck neighborhoods and at the Alexander Road bridge. “This will alleviate back-ups at the Alexander Road bridge and excessive traffic passing through the Berrien City area. I pledge to work with neighborhoods to address their quality of life concerns.”
Creating a long-term plan for capital projects in the township, says Geevers, will go a long way towards providing road and safety improvements in years to come.
“I have valuable experience in this area. As chair of the School Board’s Administration and Facilities Committee, I toured our district’s 10 schools. My committee developed a priority list of facilities’ needs along with recommendations for future planning.”
Geevers was born in Teaneck and grew up in Bergen County. Her father, Edward Koski, spent most of his career selling insurance and was an insurance adjustor for Nationwide Insurance Company when he retired. He died in 1985. Her mother, Caroline, now lives in West Windsor and has been a resident of the Village Grande development for three years.
“My mother has always been an inspiration,” says Geevers. “Besides working for Sharp Electronics while I grew up, she was a very active member of the Woman’s Club of River Edge. She held many leadership positions including a two year term as president. In 2002 my mother’s name was placed on the New Jersey State Woman’s Club honor roll for her dedication and service. I think my passion for public service comes from her example.”
Geevers says that growing up, athletics was a big part of her life. “My father and I used to practice pitching softball every night for a half an hour. It paid off. In my senior year in high school I was captain of my softball team, voted most valuable player and was named to the Bergen Record Newspaper’s first team all county softball team.”
She also points out that her daughter, Kristen, was a member of the West Windsor 10 and 12 year old teams that won state championships. Last summer, the girls finished third in the Eastern Regional competition in Albany, New York.
One way to provide more activities for the township kids, Geevers says, is to ask the Mayor’s Youth Advisory Group to develop and prioritize a list of activities and then find a way to generate non-taxpayer funding to support those needs. “The direct involvement of our youth in the creation of the plans will give them experience in the principles of participation, team work and, action toward their goals.”
Geevers adds that the expansion of the Senior Center proposed by Hsueh will allow for more multi-generational use of the building. She points out that the mayor has secured $500,”000 from Mercer County, and a $150,”000 state grant for the proposed expansion.
Another hurdle facing the township is deciding the future of the General Growth (Cyanamid) parcel. “Before conceptual plans are even considered for the property, the township administration has required that the potential developer conduct a traffic circulation survey. This will give everyone an opportunity to review the traffic impact that any development might have on the area.
“Public comment every step of the way will be very important as that property is developed. The owners of the property will have to work with the administration and council in developing plans. We should aim to preserve substantial open space with any development of this property.”
Geevers says she is also in favor of the Princeton Medical Center relocating to a site in the township, but emphasized that residents have an opportunity to comment on any hospital proposal brought forward. “At this time there is no proposal to review and we do not know whether the hospital administration wants to move to West Windsor. We will be cognizant of the public’s health needs while also addressing the impact on any neighborhoods that could be affected.”
On the re-development front, Geevers says she is in favor of “giving fullest consideration” to developing a transit village at the Princeton Junction train station.
“For years residents have been calling out for a village center that can provide a sense of place,” she says. “While neighboring towns have their centers of activity, West Windsor definitely needs to create its own unique sense of identity.
“Principles of mixed use smart growth should be followed for the development of a possible transit village and traffic patterns must be carefully reviewed. It will be critical that the Vaughn Drive connector be constructed to alleviate and divert traffic away from residential neighborhoods in this area.”
On the other side of the railroad tracks, Geevers believes the the township is moving in the right direction with plans for the widening on Route 571 and the redevelopment of the Princeton Junction business district.
She points out that the county recently announced that interim solutions to safety and traffic flow problems on Route 571 between Clarksville and Wallace roads are expected to be completed by mid-June of this year. “This is a positive step. The re-striping of the road, traffic signal upgrades, and crosswalk improvements will certainly help make this area safer as long term improvements are developed with public input. This area of Route 571 needs significant safety improvements and needs to be transformed into a much more attractive area.”
She warns, though, that as the Princeton Junction business district is developed, “it is important that the special concerns of residential neighborhoods be taken into consideration as initial concept plans are brought forward. Public input must continue throughout the revitalization process.”
In an effort to bolster communications with residents, Geevers says she would like to see a continuation of the town hall meetings started by Hsueh earlier this year. Hsueh has promised to hold quarterly meetings at which residents can learn what is going on in the township and express their concerns to officials. “The more opportunity there is for the mayor and council to talk with community members the stronger our relationship will become.”
Geevers adds that it might be time for the township to hire someone to coordinate communication with the public. Hsueh has said he would like to make such a hiring, but council has never approved funding for the position.
“With so many projects underway or being considered, I support the mayor’s call for a public information officer to disseminate information to the community,” says Geevers. She also supports Hsueh’s call to re-establish a township newsletter to be mailed to all residents. The township had a monthly newsletter for many years until the early 1990s. Council members stopped funding the publication to save money and because they feared that the mayor could use the newsletter for political gain. “A periodic newsletter would highlight the efforts of the mayor and council to bring about positive change in our township.”
Heidi Kleinman
Kleinman is an eight-year resident of the Dutch Neck section of West Windsor. She is a small business owner, running a private architectural firm for more than 20 years. She and her husband have two daughters — the oldest is a graduate of High School North, and her youngest daughter is a junior at North.
A member of the Planning Board and Site Plan Review Advisory Board since 2003, she is also a founding member and treasurer of the West Windsor Arts Council, serving on the group’s long-term planning committee and on the mayor’s Task Force for the Arts.
Kleinman says that her career coupled with experience on the planning board makes her a natural fit to serve on council. “It is my expertise as an architect which has made me a successful contributor to the planning board for the past two-and-a-half years. I have actively supported the planning studies recently initiated to better inform the planning board as to the options for township development.”
Kleinman points out that in the next few months, studies important to the township’s future will be released, including the transit village vision study, the 571 traffic study, a study on the feasibility of Bus Rapid Transit along the Route 1 corridor, and the final plans for the Alexander Road Bridge.
“These studies will be the best tool for West Windsor’s residents to join the dialogue about the future of our town,” says Kleinman. “My professional background will allow me to balance the design challenges of working within existing neighborhoods with the existing state and local ordinances.”
With her involvement in community service, Kleinman is following in the footsteps of her parents. Growing up in Essex County, her father was a pharmacist who owned his own neighborhood drug store. He was also very involved in local politics (staging an unsuccessful mayoral campaign), and was the founding member of the state’s first “Say No to Drugs” Program in the late 1960s.
“My mother volunteered on the first aid squad through my youth and has just retired from 25 years Service with the state Unemployment Office,” Kleinman adds. “Both parents believed in volunteering in their communities and have set an excellent example for me.”
Aside from the planning board, Kleinman has also been a major player in as a member of the West Windsor Arts Council, founded in 2002.
“When I moved to West Windsor eight years ago, I was surprised by the lack of local arts and cultural activities for adults and children,” says Kleinman. “Three years ago I formed the West Windsor Arts Council with several other residents. Our mission is to establish and manage the West Windsor Arts Center and provide community arts programming in order to support, educate, inspire and promote arts and art appreciation in the West Windsor community.”
She says the council has produced numerous arts activities including concerts, dance performances and workshops, art exhibitions and poetry readings, and believes that the Arts Council will help expand the range of activities for township youth.
Kleinman believes that as long as it is developed “with careful planning and long range objectives in mind” the General Growth (Cyanamid) property provides “a wonderful opportunity.”
“The planning board is awaiting a concept proposal for a mixed use development from the owners of the property to be a spring board for a productive discussion with the residents,” Kleinman says, adding that the plan proposed by the developer must preserve a substantial amount of environmentally sensitive lands on the tract as open space.
Another major consideration on Route 1 is the possibility of the Princeton Medical Center relocating to a site along the highway in West Windsor.
“I will look favorably, but cautiously, to have this institution to be in our town,” says Kleinman. “I have learned through the newspaper that the hospital is considering several sites in West Windsor, which might be suitable for a state of the art medical facility.”
“This project would be a magnet for additional offices and business related to the hospital. It would provide convenient health care for our population and another positive inducement for businesses in our community.”
But the overall effects of the project will have to be carefully considered. “I will evaluate the many traffic and quality of life specifics and overall impact after a final site has been selected,” she says.
With the other major roadway in the township, Route 571, Kleinman says that Hsueh has done an “excellent job” in receiving outside funding for the study of the pedestrian, bike, and traffic flows through the Princeton Junction business district.
“The redevelopment study for this area, and the 571 study address many positive solutions and will be further evaluated by officials and residents to determine other revisions to be made,” Kleinman says. “Interim improvements have already been approved by the county for road stripping and re-surfacing. Additional lighting and new sidewalks will be constructed by the township. The traffic calming design and pedestrian friendly atmosphere is a major step forward to creating a welcoming entrance into the heart of our community. This is the right step in addressing the safety issues on 571 while enhancing the village character of our township.”
Another project Kleinman fully supports is a transit village at the Princeton Junction train station. “The transit village is a visionary plan. The involvement of the entire community will benefit the design solution in defining what is possible for a township with the best school system, a magnet train station, excellent housing options, diverse population and, recreational opportunities for all.”
Like her running mate, Kleinman says that the Vaughn Drive connector must be constructed. “In the planning for the transit village, I will be an outspoken supporter for the Vaughn Drive Connector as a bypass for traffic funneling through Princeton Junction neighborhoods to protect those neighborhoods.”
With so much on its plate in the coming months, the importance for township government to communicate with residents will be important. “We currently have several means of communication that could be improved to further the dissemination of information about activities to its residents,” says Kleinman.
She suggests that township staff or elected officials could write a monthly column in the WW-P News, updating and expanding the township website, email notification of events and issues sent directly to residents. She adds that Town Hall meetings should be publicized better to encourage the involvement of more citizens. “The more I have learned about what is happening in our town, the more I have wanted to work to make our community even better.”
David Siegel
Siegel, 44, lives on Berrien Avenue with his wife, Mary Ann. A resident of the township since 2000, he works as a software developer for Cognos Corporation in South Brunswick.
Vice president of the Berrien City Neighborhood Association, Siegel is assistant director and webmaster of the Plainsboro Duplicate Bridge Club, and an associate member of Sigma Xi: The Scientific Research Society. He was also a member of the SIG governing board of the Association for Computer Machinery, and treasurer and chairman of ACM SIGAPL, an international APL programming association.
Siegel studied physics at Lansing Community College and Michigan State University.
Siegel says that the largest issues facing the township are managing development and redevelopment. “We need to make sure that the structures built match the available infrastructure, or else that the needed infrastructure is created in parallel. There also needs to be proper zoning for a diverse, workable community, and we have to encourage pedestrian friendly, accessible, village or town centers.
“West Windsor is too big to focus on a single center, we need several,” says the candidate. “Ideally we should convert several of our existing shopping districts, which are now more like strip-malls or big-box malls, into main streets for the township. The Acme (Windsor Plaza shopping center) is the first and most obvious target for this, but not the only one.”
Siegel says he is running for council because “West Windsor needs people with a fresh outlook, people who will get things done, as well as make plans. I want to be part of that.”
Siegel did not live in a single hometown during his youth. “My father was a college professor, now retired, and so we moved around a good deal as I grew up. I lived in Connecticut, Maryland, Wisconsin, Michigan, and upstate New York. His mother was a member of the planning board and the zoning board in Unadilla, NY.
Ultimately, Siegel pursued a career as a professional software developer. He adds that his academic and organizational interests got him involved with professional organizations that gave him experience in working with others on large projects that will he feels will be helpful on council.
As a resident of Berrien City, Siegel has seen, and shares, the concerns of his neighbors regarding potential plans for the transit village and the redevelopment of the area around Route 571.
“We certainly need to address the parking shortage and the traffic problems at the station, and the possibility of redevelopment offers opportunities we shouldn’t ignore,” Siegel says. “But I am doubtful about the wisdom of the transit village plans I have seen proposed so far.”
He says he is leery of the concepts presented to the township thus far by New Jersey Transit. “The plan includes a large amount of new housing. I find it hard to believe that such housing is not likely to result in increased school costs, and I think there are other ways of funding redevelopment that might be better for the township.”
He adds that the commercial shopping component proposed in the plan “does not seem likely to prosper on commuter traffic alone, so it would need to attract additional traffic to the station area.”
He says he is also concerned because the plan proposes making the Vaughn Drive Connecter “from the traffic artery envisioned in the Penn’s Neck EIS to a shopping road. I’m not sure that this is a good idea.
“Traffic changes at one place inevitably ripple out, and those ripples need to be taken into account before we make major decisions.”
With Route 571, Siegel says action should have been taken many years ago. “Until very recently we haven’t been moving at all. We should have been moving on this issue years ago.”
He lauds the recently-announced plans by the county for safety improvements on the road as a good first step. “But we need to do more. We need to develop architectural standards and development guidelines that will convert this area into a true main street, not just a collection of strip malls. Road improvements, sidewalks, and lighting improvements are all vital to this process, but a change in the character of the buildings is needed.”
“This should start with the buildings that are currently planned or proposed,” Siegel adds. “Then we can consider how existing structures can be made to fit in, and wind up with a true village center along Route 571. I want to improve what we already have, not tear it all down and start over, and not abandon it for a totally new center, such as the transit village.”
The impacts of traffic must also be considered when determining the zoning on the General Growth (Cyanamid) tract, says Siegel. “The bottleneck on that property is the road access. Both Clarksville and Quakerbridge roads already carry heavy traffic at peak hours, and Clarksville is only two lanes wide. That limits what can be built on that tract, more than the amount of land does. Any development there must be planned not to overwhelm the road network.”
The effects of development would also have to be considered if Princeton Medical Center were to locate on Route 1 in the township, Siegel says. “I am not in favor of the hospital being built in a way that harms their immediate neighbors, nor one that cause significant problems for those neighbors. If the hospital is to be near any existing residential neighborhood then it ought to reach out to the community, learn their concerns, and address them as well as it can.”
“If the hospital comes, the plans must be designed to attract medical offices and other good ratables,” Siegel says. “We must remember that a hospital is generally considered an inherently beneficial use, and we can’t simply and automatically block one, even if we wish to. Also, that a hospital in the proper place, and with the proper plan, could be a very good thing for West Windsor. But it must be done right.”
Improving government’s outreach to the community is important as the township begins to wrestle with myriad complex issues.
“The township website must be expanded and improved and we need more and better programming on cable channel 27,” says Siegel, adding that council should hold one of its business meetings on a Saturday every two or three months to encourage more people to become involved.
“When there are major issues affecting the residents, the township must reach out and seek resident opinion,” he says. “This must be done in the policy planning stage, not after plans have been drawn up and are simply being sold to the residents.”
Siegel also says that when resident review groups or task forces are appointed, they should be representative of the township population. “They shouldn’t be hand picked for advance agreement with the mayor or anyone el
