Just back from a two-week vacation in Germany and the Netherlands, areas that are well-developed and thriving, I am pleased to return to a West Windsor that is also bustling with activity and new developments.
On my daily commute to work now, I notice with fresh eyes all the recent changes that have occurred or are underway, which will make our town a more beautiful and vibrant place to live. First, I notice roads being repaved — for example, Clarksville Road near the high school. I then pass by the new Arts Council building in Berrien City. The refurbishment is well along now and very attractive, with its brick and blue stucco exterior, bluestone entryway, and newly paved parking lot. This new cultural center will add a new, exciting dimension to our township.
Further along on my commute, I am reminded that Alexander Road continues to flourish as a busy office corridor. I also see that the parking lot at University Square, the multi-story office building at the intersection of Alexander and Route 1, is filling up. After years of lying empty, the building now has three new tenants: a pharmaceutical company, an investment firm, and a re-insurance company — all well-known corporations in their fields. This surely is a boon for our town and speaks to the growing attractiveness of living and working here.
There are other signs of improvements all around town, too numerous to mention here, but one that is central to our community is the old Acme Shopping Center. There are signs that the new owners are cleaning up the site, and architectural drawings posted on the doorway show elegant plans for improvements. This should be a very significant first step towards a town center.
To be sure, development challenges remain for West Windsor, particularly the redevelopment of the town center. However, the landmark accomplishments of the past several years, coupled with our history of having among the lowest property tax increases in the county for the past decade, demonstrate that our governing body, including our council and Mayor Hsueh, is leading us very capably.
Lindsay Diehl
West Windsor
