Sharbell Development Corp. recently submitted a fiscal impact analysis to Robbinsville Township for the proposed Gordon Simpson Tract redevelopment plan on Route 130 North across from Wawa.
The data provided by Sharbell, the company that developed Robbinsville Town Center, shows a population of approximately 545 persons, with an increase of 73 school-aged children (5 & over) for 306 proposed mixed-use units in the plan.
Approximately 20,000 square feet of this project would be commercial. Additionally, the total annual tax revenue is projected to be $1.2 million. The statistics were provided by Sharbell for informational purposes only and are not part of the project’s land use application.
The impact statement contains “relatively comparative information reflective of what we’ve seen in similar projects and unit types in town over the past 5-10 years,” Fried said.
If the project is approved by the Township’s Land Use Board, ground-breaking could take place in late spring with the first sale closings in the second quarter of 2025. The first school-aged children are not expected to join the school system until the 2025-2026 school year.
The 73-student estimate would offset the current 70-plus student decline in enrollment, which has been trending down since 2021. Replenishing enrollment is imperative, as the district risks further declines in state aid if those numbers continue trending down.
RHS seniors named 2024 National Merit semifinalists
Six seniors at Robbinsville High School are among 16,000 semifinalists nationwide in the 69th-annual National Merit Scholarship Program.
These academically-talented students now have an opportunity to compete for 7,140 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $28 million that will be offered next spring.
The students from Robbinsville: Aidan Dinh, Nora Gray, Vedhanth V. Jayanthi, Asrith Katragadda, Arnav Ketineni and Pranav A. Ram.
“We are tremendously proud of the semifinalists, representing less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors,” said Robbinsville Schools Superintendent Brian Betze. “There were more than 1.3 million juniors in about 21,000 high schools who competed in this program. Our six seniors are among the highest-performing students in the country.”
The students, working with Robbinsville High School staff, submitted detailed scholarship applications with academic records, school and community activities, leadership initiatives, employment, and honors and awards. All six students have superb grades, strong recommendations from school staff, compelling essays and very high standardized test scores, Betze said.
The National Merit Scholarship Program, a not-for-profit organization that operates without government assistance, was established in 1955. Scholarships come from the program, as well as approximately 320 business organizations and higher education institutions.
National Merit Scholarship winners of 2024 will be announced beginning in April and concluding in July. The scholarship recipients will join nearly 375,000 other distinguished young people who have earned the Merit Scholar title.
Sheriff’s Car seat check program to continue
Mercer County Sheriff Jack Kemler announced that on-site child seat safety checks would continue this year at the Colonial Fire Company on Kuser Road in Hamilton Township.
The free program, partially funded by a grant from the NJ Division of Highway Traffic Safety, is part of the sheriff’s ongoing campaign to help parents, grandparents, expecting parents and others properly secure their children in an automobile.
Trained and certified sheriff’s officers will conduct each child seat check for proper installation. They will also help determine if your child is in the right seat for their age and size.
“No one ever wants to get it wrong when it comes to a child’s safety. It is important for parents, grandparents, and those expecting a child to know that a child will be secure in their car seat and are in the right seat for their size and age,” said Kemler.
The car seat safety check-ups will take place from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on the last Tuesday of each month for 2024.
The dates are Feb. 27, March 26, April 30, May 28, June 25, July 30, Aug. 27, Sept. 24, Oct. 29 and Nov. 26 (there are no inspections in December due to the holiday season).
Inspections take place in a weather-protected area at the rear of the firehouse. Participants should install their car seats before arrival and follow all health-minded guidance while at the event.
For more information on the Sheriff’s Office Car Seat Safety Program, call (609) 209-2880 or 609-278-7159.
