Township of West Windsor - Projects Around Town

Project Description: This project will develop a plan for the West Windsor Township “Area in need of Redevelopment” which will be presented to the West Windsor Planning Board and approved by the Township Council. Upon acceptance of this plan, zoning ordinances can be enacted to establish a mini-master plan for the area.

Funding: Development of the plan will be funded through a combination of the Township capital improvements budget and grants. A capital budget in the amount of $400,000 had been approved to fund the contract with the planning firm RMJM Hillier; the development and distribution of public information on the workshops; and the costs of the venues for the workshops. An additional $200,000 has been approved to fund independent analysis and study by West Windsor Township Planning Board professionals; the services of an outside economic firm; and a redevelopment attorney.

Status: Three public meetings were held as workshops for the public to provide input and feedback on development ideas. A combined meeting of the Township Council and Planning Board was held June 4, 2007 at which RMJM Hillier presented concept plans refined from the last workshop. The West Windsor Township Council requested the Planning Board conduct an independent study of the Redevelopment Area. At an October 24, 2007 meeting of the Planning Board, Planning Board professionals gave a presentation on an approach for a study and analysis of the redevelopment concept plans proposed at the June 4 meeting. At a December 8, 2007 joint meeting of the Township Council and Parking Authority, the Parking Authority gave a presentation on current parking needs and public comment was heard. A Redevelopment Finance Committee has been formed with volunteers and meetings have been schedule for January. Information on the redevelopment workshops and meeting information can be found at www.WWAllAboard.org and www.WestWindsorNJ.org.

Project Description: Restoration of a barn, carriage house, and school house on the Schenck Farmstead property. This project has been in progress since 1997. The Schenck Farmstead is where the Township has established a focal point to celebrate West Windsor’s farming history. The West Windsor Historical Society maintains and stocks the house and outbuildings providing tours and fund raising activities throughout the year.

Barn:
Installation of custom doors and period piece windows; replace metal walls on the back portion of the barn; install water and sewer connections; install rough plumbing; pour a concrete slab for the shed, install entry ramps; provide basic electric and sprinkler system; finish interior with painting, lighting, and interior framing; complete landscaping.

Carriage House:
Dismantling and reconstruction of the existing 100 year old carriage house. The carriage house is an excellent example of early 20th century architecture.

School House:
Dismantling and reconstruction of the only remaining one-room school house in West Windsor Township. The goal would be to restore the school house to circa 1900 when it was last occupied.
Funding: This project is being funded from municipal capital improvement funds.

Status:
Barn
The Township has approved the contract to design, build, and install custom doors and period piece windows on the barn. A contract to repair the metal shed portion of the barn has been approved by Council. The proposed 2008 capital budget funding is being requested to complete the outfitting of the barn for use as a museum.

Carriage House

A contract has been awarded for the winterization of the carriage house (i.e., the repair of the roof and doors and installation of a protective fence around the building to prevent access). This work is scheduled to be completed by the end of January, 2008. Funding is included in the 2008 Capital Budget for the replacement and/or restoration of the carriage house.

Parsonage House (aka School House)
A contract has been awarded for the disassembly and offsite storage of the school house. A contract has been awarded to conduct a survey of the Schenck Farmstead with the objective of developing a site plan to determine the new location of the school house and associated parking. Funding is also proposed for the 2008 Capital Budget for the reassembly and interior fit out of the school house and construction of a stone parking lot.

Project Description: Signal modifications, signage, and pedestrian markings along Alexander Road at the intersections with Canal Pointe Boulevard, Carnegie Way, Roszel Road, and Vaughn Drive
Funding: This project is being funded from municipal capital improvement funds.

Project Description: Improved visual enhancements such as high visibility crosswalks and in-street pedestrian signage for Village Road West at the intersections with Reed Drive, Oakwood Way, and South Mill Roads. In addition, a traffic analysis for possible speed limit reduction and a no passing zone is also included.

Funding: This project is being funded from municipal capital improvement funds.

Project Description: Various improvements and added features to the West Windsor Township Community Park. Recently completed projects include the parking lot expansion by the Waterworks pool facility, a new skate park, and dog parks. The next phase of improvements will include ball field lights and basketball courts near the skate park.

Funding: The basketball courts are being funded through a combination of Mercer County grant money and municipal capital improvement funds. Ball field lighting is being funded by the Township together with the Football and Lacrosse Associations.

Status: The dog parks are scheduled to open once the grass is established in spring 2008. Engineering for the basketball courts is 95% complete with construction scheduled for spring of 2008. The installation of ball field lighting has been completed. The fields are being reseeded.

Project Description: Sewer the Heatherfield development.

Funding: Sewer connections are initially funded by the Township which is recovered by tax assessments on the homeowners in the affected development.

Project Description: Evaluation and implementation of improvements required to achieve compliance with building codes and assure the safe public use of this building.

Funding: A combination of grant money and municipal capital improvements funds will be used to complete this project.

Status: Preparation of bid documents for Phase I improvements is scheduled to be completed over the winter with construction anticipated for 2008.

Project Description: Engineering and construction of roadway improvements to the ‘S’ curve section of Alexander Road including improved drainage, striping, signage, and pedestrian facilities.

Funding: This is being funded through the Township capital improvements budget. A grant has been awarded as well and will allow more to be implemented sooner.

Status: Conceptual design has been completed and presented to Township Council and the public. Final design and bid documents are scheduled to be completed by spring of 2008 with construction in the summer of 2008.

Project description: Extension of Meadow Road to the Carnegie Center Connector Road and Meadow Road Overpass eliminating the existing curvature of the road. In addition, the project will include the reconstruction and widening of the entire length of Meadow Road including intersection improvements at Clarksville Road.

Funding: This project is being funded 100% by Transportation Improvement District (TID) money. This is a fund established through developer and Township contributions to fund certain infrastructure projects.

Status: Engineering design is 100% complete. The project has received wetlands and stream encroachment permitting from the NJ Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) and the Delaware Raritan Canal Commission (DRCC). The project is planned to be completed in two phases.

Phase I will reconstruct Meadow Road from the Meadow Road overpass at Route One to approximately 1,000 feet east of Bear Brook Road.

Phase II will continue the road improvements from Phase I to the Clarksville Road intersection.

Project Description: Restoration of the Grovers Mill Pond. The goal is to restore its fisheries habitat. The restoration will be accomplished through sediment removal from the existing pond to create better water depths for local fishery populations. In addition, habitat structures will be placed into the pond to further enhance the existing fishery habitat.

Funding: A combination of federal grant money and municipal capital improvements funds will be used to fund the pond restoration.

Status: Engineering and permitting has been completed. The disposal area for the dredged material is planned to be constructed in the spring of 2008 with dredging in the fall of 2008 due to restrictions on pond activity during certain months. The construction contract was awarded in September 2007.

Project Description: Replacement of the bridge currently spanning the railroad tracks at North Post Road and Alexander Road. This new bridge will provide for pedestrians and bicycles and will have a large round-about for traffic calming.

Funding: Design and construction of the project are supported by State funds in the Capital Improvement Plan of NJ DOT.

Status: The project was awarded and construction activity has started. The support piles have been driven. A public open house concerning construction was held on May 22, 2007. Construction is estimated to take about 16 to 18 months. The following handouts were provided by the NJ DOT at a public open house March 30, 2005 and May 22, 2007.

Project Description: Improve County Route 571 (CR 571) from Clarksville Road to the Wallace Road/Cranbury Road intersection. This would consist of widening the road in places, adding bike lanes, sidewalks, and improving the streetscape. A concept design was been approved by the Township Council in November, 2005 and forwarded to the County. A CD is available for purchase from the Planning and Zoning Office for $7.00 or the concept plan may be viewed online. (DETAILS)

Funding: Federal funding will be sought by the County with support of the Township.

Status: The County met with the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) which is the Metropolitan Planning Agency for federal funding for transportation. Because of the size of the project, the DVRPC requested that the project be broken into phases which can proceed independently. The suggested phases are: the Clarksville Road/571 intersection, main line 571, and the 571/Wallace Road intersection. The right-of-way needs, including the identification of impacts to businesses, have been mapped for the proposed alignment. It should be noted that Mercer County has repaved the existing CR 571 from Clarksville Road to Cranbury Road/ Wallace Road. This is a temporary improvement until reconstruction of the road occurs.

Hendrickson Park Expansion
Project Description: Expansion of the parking area on Hendrickson Drive.

Bicycle and Pedestrian Improvements
Project Description: Construction of a bridge across the Big Bear Brook and a bicycle/ pedestrian pathway along the PSE&G right-of-way between Rabbit Hill Road and Penn Lyle Road. In addition, bicycle lanes will be provided along Southfield Road between New Village Road and the Plainsboro Township border.

Dutch Neck School Beacon
Project Description: Installation of a speed beacon similar to that of Maurice Hawk School to slow traffic during school drop-off and pick-up times. The traffic patterns of the Dutch Neck School are very similar to Maurice Hawk in that there is a lot of pedestrian activity during these times on Village Road.

Princeton Junction Redevelopment Study
Project Description: Study of the Princeton Junction area to determine whether or not it qualifies as an “Area in need of Redevelopment” and if so, its boundaries. This study was the first step in developing a redevelopment plan. The Princeton Junction Redevelopment Study may be viewed online. (DETAILS)

Grover Mill Dam
Project Description: Repair the dam at Grovers Mill Pond. The present earthen dam is 400 ft long and 11 ft high and forms the base for Clarksville Road. The dam was in need of repair and has now been completed. Clarksville Road running over the dam has been repaved and re-striped by the County.

Hendrickson Drive Tennis Courts
Project Description: Renovate the Hendrickson Drive tennis courts and the rebound wall court. Playground equipment nearby has been replaced.

Vision Study
Project Description: Establish a conceptual vision for possible development of the area west of the train station. The final report is available on CD from Community Development for $7.00. You may also access the report through this link: Vision Study. Given the size of this report, please do not attempt to download it using a dial-up connection.

Orth Rogers Report
Project Description: Prepare a Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan for West Windsor Township. This was performed by Orth -Rodgers & Associates, Inc., a planning consulting firm, retained by the NJ Department of Transportation (NJDOT). This plan was completed with the assistance of a project steering committee comprised of Township staff and residents and has now been incorporated into the Master Plan.

County Route 571 (CR 571) Interim Improvements
Project Description: Mercer County re-striped CR 571from Clarksville to Wallace Road. A crosswalk and signage was added to Sherbrooke Drive crossing CR 571. West Windsor Township provided additional lighting.

Duck Pond Park
Project Description: Implement the initial phase of a park on Meadow Road. It was recommended by the Open Space Utilization Task Force that this park be developed with irrigated and illuminated ball fields; comfort stations; nature, jogging/walking, and biking trails; court games; and an amphitheater. The first phase provided an access road, parking, and stormwater basins.

BRT Feasibility Study
Project Description: The BRT would provide alternative transportation to relieve traffic in and around the Route One corridor. Called the Central New Jersey Route 1 Bus Rapid Transit Alternatives Analysis Study, it was managed by NJ Transit. The study, dated February, 2006, is complete and available on the Route 1 BRT web site: http://www.route1brt.com/ under PRODUCTS/DOWNLOADS. A presentation given to the Central Jersey Transportation Forum (CJTF) in March, 2006 is also available.

Millstone Road Reconstruction
Project Description: Reconstruction of Millstone Road from Cranbury Road to the Plainsboro border. Construction will include bike capable shoulders on both sides as well as curbing.

South Lane Paving
Project Description: Mill and overlay South Lane from Windsor Road to Village Road East.

Road Improvement Program
Project Description: The West Windsor Township Road Improvement Program was initiated in 2004 to ensure that the aging roads of the Township were maintained. The following Township roads have been completed as a part of this program.

2004 - Harris Road, Fisher Place, Slayback Drive (Route 571 to Windsor Business Park entrance), Jacob Drive, Birchwood Court, Lorrie Lane.

2005 - Slayback Drive (Windsor Business Park entrance to Lyncroft Lane), Manor Ridge and Stonelea Drive Intersection, Hawk Drive, Windsor Drive (between Route 571 and Van Wyck Drive), Van Wyck Drive.

2006 - CCoventry Circle, Wallingford Drive, Pierson Avenue, Wilder Avenue, Varsity Avenue, Mather Avenue.