3-23 WWP

Mayor talks Bridge Point 8 approval

By BiLL SANserViNO

West Windsor officials last year were faced with one of the most controversial development applications in decades.

In July, the township ultimately approved the Bridge Point 8 project over the objections of numerous township residents.

The approval allowed for the construction of seven warehouses totaling 5.5 million square feet on the 653-acre property located at the corner of Clarksville and Quakerbridge Roads.

The project is being developed by Chicago-based Bridge Development Partners, the parent company of Bridge Point WW LLC.

Huaxia School celebrates the Year of the Rabbit

The following report was submitted to the News by the Huaxia Chinese School at Plainsboro.

The Spring Festival Spectacular of the Huaxia Chinese School at Plainsboro returned to celebrate the first day of the Lunar New

Year in person on Jan. 22. After a three-year hiatus caused by the pandemic, the dedication and hard work of teachers and students made for a festive celebration.

The event began with traditional games, including paper cutting, Chinese calligraphy, lantern making, riddles, costume design,

chopsticks challenges and a Chinese culture corner. These games were prepared by senior students of the HXPCS and provided a fun and interactive way for parents and students to come together and embrace their cultural heritage. The celebration continued with See LUNAR NEW YEAR, Page 3

Bridge is leasing the site from Atlantic Realty, which purchased the property from the Howard Hughes Corporation in 2019 for $40 million.

In 2020, the township reached a settlement agreement with Atlantic Realty to resolve litigation that had been filed by Howard Hughes.

The lawsuit challenged the zoning of the property and argued that the township had not provided its fair share of affordable housing.

The developer was pushing a plan to build a mixed-use project featuring retail businesses, commercial offices and some 1,900 res-

When someone you care about is sick, you’ll do whatever it takes to make sure they get the best care. And so do we.

idential homes, including low- and moderate-income affordable units.

The settlement agreement with Atlantic Realty ultimately resulted in the Bridge Point 8 warehouse development.

For township officials, the issue created a Hobson’s choice—allow the warehouse development or be faced with a massive housing complex that would have created an influx of thousands of students into the school district.

Currently the district’s per-pupil cost is more than $19,000 and increasing every year. Adding that number of school kids could ultimately result in tens of millions of dollars in costs to the district.

The warehouse project, on the other hand, could boost township tax revenues by about $15 million a year, township officials have estimated.

Although township residents and officials had historically been opposed to building residences on the property, there were some who argued during the Bridge Point 8 application process that housing would be preferable to the truck traffic and pollution caused by the development.

In January, two West Windsor residents filed a lawsuit against the township in an effort to stop

See MARATHE, Page 5

With a collaborative structure so our doctors can craft a treatment that’s uniquely right for you. With primary care physicians who never schedule an appointment that’s less than 20 minutes. With world-renowned surgeons that are changing cancer treatment. Because

O: 609-921-9202

Evan Hsu (left), Sophie Sun, Ziliang Ling, Ryan Ying, Adam Zhou and Eric Lv celebrate the first day of the Lunar New Year as part of an event held by the Huaxia Chinese School at Plainsboro on Jan. 22, 2023.

EDiTeD By BiLL SANserViNO

a Dragon Dance performance, followed by musical ensembles “Golden Snake Dance” and “Joyous”, which set the mood for the Lunar New Year.

The eight MCs of the Spectacular did an excellent job introducing each program and keeping the show flowing smoothly. The school’s principal, Ying Zhang, welcomed everyone and thanked the teachers and students for their support during the pandemic.

School Board Chair Dr. Meimei Gao expressed her gratitude to the sponsors and welcomed the guests in attendance.

There were numerous guests at the 2023 Spring Festival Spectacular, including: State Senator Linda Greenstein; State Assemblywoman Verlina Reynolds-Jackson; State assemblymen Daniel Benson, Wayne P. DeAngelo and Anthony Verrelli; Mercer County Commissioner Kristin Mclaughlin; Senior Aide to the Governor Rajpal S. Bath; Mercer County Community College President Deborah Preston; Plainsboro Township Mayor Peter Cantu; Deputy Mayor Ed Yates; West Windsor Township Mayor Hemant Marathe; West Windsor Township Council President Andrea Mandel; Vice President Michael Stevens; Councilwoman Linda Geevers; West Windsor-Plainsboro School District Superintendent David Aderhold; Board of

Education President Rachel Juliana; Vice President Graelynn McKeown; Board members Elizabeth George-Cheniara, Louisa Ho, Dana Krug and Shwetha Shetty; the Vice President of the Central

New Jersey Chinese-American Association Cujin Yu; the Co-Chair of United Chinese Americans in New Jersey Yingchao Zhang; HuaXia Chinese School President Liang Zhang; HuaXia Chinese School

Board Chair Yingkan Bo; and the owner of Windsor Athletic Club Zhenzhong Li. Representatives from the towns in the neighborhood and local schools were See LUNAR NEW YEAR, Page 4

We are a newsroom of your neighbors. The West Windsor and Plainsboro News is for local people, by local people. As part of the community, the Gazette does more than just report the news—it connects businesses with their customers, organizations with their members and neighbors with one another. As such, our staff sets out to make our town a closer place by giving readers a reliable source to turn to when they want to know what’s going on in their neighborhood.

SENIOR COMMUNITY EDITOR

Bill Sanservino (Ext. 104)

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Rich Fisher

AD LAYOUT AND PRODUCTION

Stephanie Jeronis

Community News Service

9 Princess Road, Suite M Lawrenceville, NJ 08648

Phone: (609) 396-1511

News: news@communitynews.org

Events: events@communitynews.org

Sports: sports@communitynews.org

Letters: bsanservino@communitynews.org

Website: communityews.org

Facebook: WestWindsorPlainsboroNews

Twitter: twitter.com/mercerspace

17,000 copies of The News are mailed or bulkdistributed to the residences and businesses in Plainsboro and West Windsor 12 times a year. TO ADVERTISE call (609) 396-1511, ext. 110 or e-mail advertise@communitynews.org

CO-PUBLISHER

Jamie Griswold

MCs Jason Li (left), Claire Wang, Justin Zhang, Wenya Zhang, Helen Yu, Evan Bai, Elaine Xu and Michael Feng at the Huaxia Chinese School’s Lunar New Year event on Jan. 22, 2023.

Genius® 3D Mammograms

Genius® 3D Mammograms provide arti cial intelligence as another layer of assurance that nothing is missed.

They also provide shorter exam times and greater comfort, reducing our “squeeze” time by 75%.

To schedule, call 609-426-9200 or go to WindsorRadiology.com

also in attendance.

Greenstein and Aderhold spoke on behalf of the guests, expressing their honor to be part of the celebration and wishing everyone a Happy New Year.

Liang Zhang, praised the HXPCS for their leadership in various competitions and expressed high expectations for the upcoming recitation competition.

At the end of introductions, all the guests said “Happy New Year” in Chinese in unison, which brought the show to a new level of excitement and received a long applause from the audience.

The HXPCS Spring Festival Spectacular included 19 performances split into

two halves, showcasing the cultural heritage of China.

This annual event, which began in 2006, is an important celebration for the teachers, parents, children, and community. After a prolonged hiatus due to the pandemic, the 2023 Spring Festival Spectacular was highly anticipated and a success.

Through love and dedication for their heritage, the HXPCS teachers and students were able to pass on traditional Chinese culture to their adopted land. The history behind the Spring Festival and the beauty of Chinese culture were appreciated and celebrated with gratitude. Looking forward to a prosperous 2023!

Teixeira, PA-C, Wendy Myers, MD, Brianna Butler, PA-C, Alexa Hetzel, PA-C

300A Princeton Hightstown Road, East Windsor, NJ

LUNAR NEW YEARcont. from Page 3

Kathy Yang (Left), Victor Song and Helen Yu perform stand-up comedy at the Huaxia Chinese School’s Lunar New Year event on Jan. 22, 2023.

construction of the warehouse complex. The litigation, which was filed by Justino Gonzalez and Stacey Joy Fox, challenges the planning board’s approvals of the development and also the validity of an ordinance approved in Nov, 2020 by Township Council that rezoned the tract to allow the warehouses.

In an effort to help clarify the township’s thinking on the issue, West Windsor & Plainsboro News editor Bill Sanservino—a veteran of West Windsor news coverage since 1987—sat down with Marathe to discuss the approval and complex issues associated with the issue.

An edited version of that discussion appears below.

WWP News: I know that to some extent the town was limited in it’s options, because the property owner had filed an affordable housing lawsuit that, if successful, would have allowed them to build a huge number of residential units to subsidize the affordable housing. What are your thoughts about the situation?

Hemant Marathe: I mean, I’ve been really honest. Even when I ran for reelection, I told people that (warehouses over residential housing) was my preference. That was my choice, simply not because I like warehouses, but I always say “I’m not

a king. I don’t make the rules, I have to play by the rules.”

My job is to protect the township as best as I can, given the cards that I am dealt, and I have not been dealt very good cards, as you know.

What is unfortunate and disappointing is that everybody’s trying to address the symptoms but not the cause. It’s not just West Windsor. I mean, at least four or five towns in New Jersey are involved in various types of lawsuits.

All those mayors can be thinking the same way I do. I mean, they’re doing it because they see what their options are, and they’re doing what they feel is the best for their town long term. Unless somebody addresses the problem that’s causing it (affordable housing issues), there’s no point.

It’s very easy to yell at the mayor and the council, especially somebody like me, who responds, or who is approachable and who is willing to state what he truly believes in.

Since I became the mayor in 2015— and I was on the counsel before that— there’s not been a single discussion at the state level about affordable housing and how the state should manage it.

Instead of criticizing towns for their decisions, lawmakers would do a lot more service if they bring the issue up in the

Assembly chamber and get some bill passed so that this madness is stopped. Right now it’s just Russian roulette. If you lose an affordable housing lawsuit, you don’t know what number of houses you’re going to get. There’s no rhyme or reason.

In my capacity, in my good conscience, I couldn’t take that chance for the township, whether I’m the mayor or not. One of the things I always felt was that if some previous mayor had taken care of that property, I wouldn’t be in this situation.

The way I think is that I can’t impose the problem on the next mayor and say, “it’s your headache, not my headache,” because it’s going to happen, and you’re going to have 2,000 or 3,000 homes.

What people don’t realize is that the density now has increased significantly since Howard Hughes made the proposal for 1,900-odd homes.

If you look at this round there’s not a single-family home being built. I mean, at most it’s townhouses and apartments, which is far more dense. And so instead of 1,900, you’re probably looking at 3,000.

And there’s people who are worried about traffic? 3000 apartments will generate a lot more traffic and will be much worse than the traffic that will be generated by these warehouses.

WWP: And not only traffic, but

you’re also creating a significant impact on the schools.

HM: Absolutely. The schools, the police, everywhere. We would probably need at least five or 10 more police officers. How many public works people to maintain that land? I mean, that land is bigger than some municipalities in New Jersey.

So that’s the hand I’m dealt, and in good conscience, I can’t say, “hey, I don’t have to worry about it, its somebody else’s problem.”

This was something that was acceptable to the developer, because at that time warehouses were in great demand. If we were doing a deal now, I don’t know if they would be as amenable to that settlement as they were at that time, because now the economy has changed.

So many people are building warehouses all over towns in New Jersey.

Amazon has said they have too many warehouses. Everybody was expecting Amazon to pick up some of those warehouses, so I don’t know if they will be willing to do it now.

And now as you get closer and closer to the next round of affordable housing (requirements from the state), the developer has less incentive to go ahead and do that.

See MARATHE, Page 7

West Windsor Community

You’re only 45. You still need a colon cancer screening.

Along with eating healthy and regular exercise, your best bet for good colon health is to get a colon cancer screening. Individuals at average risk for colorectal cancer should begin screening at age 45. Individuals at higher risk should speak to their doctor about getting screened sooner. Regular screening can detect and prevent colorectal cancer in its earliest stages, which is when the cancer is most treatable. Should your screening indicate the need for treatment, we offer the latest options, from complex surgical procedures and radiation therapy to clinical trials and precision medicine. The best screening is the one that gets completed, so schedule yours now at rwjbh.org/colonscreening

Let’s beat cancer together. Let’s beat cancer together.

MARATHE continued from Page 5

My belief is the majority of people in West Windsor recognize that, understand that. That’s why even after making that a big issue in the campaign, I won, and I didn’t want to win by telling a lie, because there’s no point in doing that. So people need to realize we have to choose the best out of all the bad options.

WWP: One of the interesting things I noticed is that some of the people who I have seen over the years talking about not wanting more houses in West Windsor were some of the same people at the planning board meetings saying, “No more warehouses.” I think that there’s a lot of people who are going to be unhappy no matter what.

HM: Exactly.

WWP: Development happens on a parcel—that’s the way it works in New Jersey. The developers have the hammers, right?

HM: People need to realize that. The developers have the control and the laws of the state are not favorable to the to the towns. The Municipal Land Use Law doesn’t give too much power to the mayor, or the council or the planning board. It is what it is.

I mean, I met someone in transportation a couple of weeks ago and we were talking. He was in New Jersey a long time ago, then went overseas and recently came back. I was explaining to him I moved here in 1994 and how much the township has grown since ’94.

He had a very interesting question. He asked, “How many new roads have you built?”

I don’t think any. I mean, we did build New Village Road and the continuation of Village Road. Other than that, I don’t see any major significant new roads or new projects that would alleviate traffic.

Now, if you go from a township of 10,000 or 15,000 residents to 30,000 with the same roads, you’re definitely going to get at least 75% more traffic, if not double. And that’s what has essentially happened.

People keep saying, “oh this (warehouse project) will put a traffic burden on other towns nearby,” which is true, but when I look at it, West Windsor has a lot of traffic on Route 1. About 95% of that doesn’t originate or end in West Windsor and just passes through. It’s the same with Route 571. The same with the train station.

I mean, we have been supporting people coming from all neighboring towns, especially before the Hamilton train station was built. For many years people have been driving through West Windsor who don’t live in West Windsor, and we have never complained. We accommodated them.

So this is the same thing. I mean, if East Windsor is building warehouses on our border, those trucks are going to come through West Windsor.

There are two big stores in Quakerbridge Mall that are closed and there’s talk about converting them into warehouses or housing. If they’re converted into warehouses, those trucks can easily come on Clarksville Road. There’s nothing I can do about it. And there’s nothing that the people who are yelling and shouting can do about it.

So at least this way, we have the ability to control what happens on our side of the boundary of Quakerbridge Road, and it has given us the ability to talk about it. I mean, since this discussion started, I have noticed so many more trucks in town. I never noticed them before.

It’s not that they were not there before. I see trucks on Clarksville Road, and I sometimes follow them to see where they’re going. Only one or two ended up at McCaffrey’s (on Route 571 in West Windsor), but most of them go either to Route 130, Quaker Bridge Road or somewhere else. A lot of them are going to Walmart in East Windsor.

So we have had our share of supporting traffic from other towns and there’s nothing wrong in saying that this (the Bridge Point property) is a big piece of land and Attention:

Residents of West Windsor, Plainsboro & Cranbury

Residents of West Windsor, Plainsboro & Cranbury

REGISTER NOW AT WWLL.ORG

Majors Baseball and Softball 11-12 year old boys & girls

Majors

Minors Baseball 9-10 year old boys

Minors Softball 8-10 year old girls

AAA Baseball (kid pitch) 7-8 year old boys

Rookies Baseball (coach pitch) 5-7 year old boys

Beginners Softball (coach pitch) 5-7 year old girls

Tee-ball 4-6 year old boys & girls

SCAN QR CODE TO REGISTER

WE ARE A 100% VOLUNTEER RUN ORGANIZATION. PLEASE VOLUNTEER TODAY!!! Contact WWLL@WWLL.org

WE ARE A 100% VOLUNTEER RUN ORGANIZATION. PLEASE VOLUNTEER TODAY!!! Contact WWLL@WWLL.org

Opening Day

Opening Day 3/27/2023

@wwllpage

@wwllpage @wwlittleleague

West Windsor Little League West Windsor Township, NJ 08550

this is the best use from the township’s point of view to go ahead and do that.

WWP: Like you said. People are trying to deal with the symptoms, but not the problem. There has been talk by some officials and organizations saying, “okay, we have to address these issues on a statewide level, on a regional level.” But there are no mechanisms that will allow for that. There’s nothing in the state Municipal Land Use Law that allows for planning to be done regionally, is there?

HM: No. There’s absolutely nothing in the law. But see, equally important is that there has to be a willingness on the part of the leadership to take on tough issues and make tough decisions. Currently everybody’s afraid to make decisions. People who are unhappy yell the loudest, and people are happy stay home. So there’s a general unwillingness to make any tough decisions. I mean, the thinking is just, “let’s pass the can down the road, and it’s somebody else’s problem.”

WWP: The Municipal Land Use Law was written in the mid-1970’s. Have there been any significant changes? Have there been any tools dded that allow the state along with counties or municipalities to plan on

a regional level to give them more control over what goes on?

HM: Not that I’m aware of. And the even now, Gov. Murphy probably couldn’t get those passed through the state Assembly and the Senate. That’s why they’re (the governor’s administration) just issuing guidelines, simply because none of the lawmakers want to make tough decisions and make developers unhappy.

You should always demand that the people who can do something about the problem do something about the problem. Not come to the people who can’t do anything about it and say, “You do something about it.”

There’s very little I can do, and my job is to protect West Windsor. My job is to look after the best interest of township as long as I’m not being unfair or don’t cheat anybody else. The township is still looking at all the options on the table, and I think this is still the best option for the township.

WWP: I’m assuming that one option that wasn’t on the table was to have most of that site be commercial offices or retail?

HM: Commercial offices and retail is, and has been, allowed there, but nobody is building office buildings. We have 4 million square feet of office buildings sit-

The Barber Shop

ing empty in West Windsor. There is going to be commercial happening on that site eventually as part of this plan. I believe its about 150,000-square-feet along Route 1 and around Quakerbridge Road.

WWP: Offices and a small amount of retail, correct?

HM: Yes, a small amount of retail, too.

WWP: But the whole site could not have been developed as commercial and retail?

HM: No, not the whole thing as such. I mean, the developer would have made argument that this development is commercial. They would need to put a lot of houses there to create customers for whatever retail they puts in. But that’s the crux of the matter—that we don’t want too much housing, because that puts pressure on everybody.

WWP: How difficult were the negotiations with Atlantic? I’m sure you probably wanted less warehouses. Did the developer want more than they ultimately got?

HM: Yeah the developer wanted a lot more, and we went back and forth for quite a while, and it’s anybody’s guess, right? I didn’t know what they were thinking. They didn’t know what I was thinking. At a certain point, we had to decide, “okay, I believe this is the best I can get, plus or minus delta.” And that’s when we settled.

My reasoning was that the property is about two miles from Route 295 and it’s right on Route 1. One of the strong conditions in our approval is that they have to have Route 1 access.

It makes sense that the majority of traffic would go to either to Route 1 or to 295. If you’re going south, it makes no sense to come in through town. I mean, truck drivers are not just driving around to

annoy you. They have to go somewhere and time is money for them. They will just take a route that’s more direct than going through several towns.

If you put in Google that you are coming from a Newark airport site, it will tell you take Route 18 and go to Route 1 as the shortest and easiest way here. If you’re going to Philadelphia or Delaware it’s a no-brainer to take Route 295 and south.

So I still expect the majority of traffic would go that way. I can’t say that not a single truck will come in through West Windsor. Trucks come in through West Windsor now.

People are always saying Clarksville Road is going to be six lanes. I don’t see that happening in my lifetime or my kids lifetime. I just don’t see that happening.

WWP: Now that it’s been approved, what are some of the things that the town can do to mitigate the impacts from the site that may take place over time? All of those warehouses are not going to appear at once, so what are some of the things that the municipality can do in conjunction with other authorities?

HM: That’s a really good point you bring up. If you notice, we have only approved the first phase of the two-phase project—three warehouses. And the planning board conditions also stipulated what they need to do before they come in for phase two.

And it’s not as if simply because they’ve got preliminary approval for phase one, they can just come and start building. The police are working with the state DOT to better understand what controls they have. They are educating the traffic police as to what they can and can’t do with the truck traffic.

One of the planning conditions is that

See MARATHE, Page 10

***** SENIOR CITIZENS *****

Weekday Savings at e Barber Shop of Hamilton, from 9am until 1pm weekdays (Monday through Friday) receive our February-March savings promotion. Book through Booksy or call 609-586-6029 to schedule your appointment service or walk in between 9am and 1pm. From now to March 15th take $5.00 OFF your Senior Haircut Service at e Barber Shop of Hamilton

FREE UPCOMING HEALTH EDUCATION EVENTS

FREE UPCOMING HEALTH EDUCATION EVENTS

Register online at capitalhealth.org/events and be sure to include your email address. Zoom meeting details will be provided via email 2 – 3 days before the program date. Registration ends 24 hours before the program date.

Register online at capitalhealth.org/events and be sure to include your email address. Zoom meeting details will be provided via email 2 – 3 days before the program date. Registration ends 24 hours before the program date.

Preventing Colon Cancer: What You Should Know

Preventing Colon Cancer: What You Should Know

Maximizing Brain Health

Maximizing Brain Health

Thursday, March 30, 2023 | 6 p.m.

Location: Zoom Meeting

Thursday, March 30, 2023 | 6 p.m. Location: Zoom Meeting

If you’re concerned that you are not as sharp as you used to be, there are steps you can take right now to reduce cognitive decline. DR. RAJIV VYAS from Capital Health – Behavioral Health Specialists will share strategies to keep your brain focused and reduce memory loss.

If you’re concerned that you are not as sharp as you used to be, there are steps you can take right now to reduce cognitive decline. DR. RAJIV VYAS from Capital Health – Behavioral Health Specialists will share strategies to keep your brain focused and reduce memory loss.

Thursday, March 16, 2023 | 6 p.m.

Thursday, March 16, 2023 | 6 p.m. Location: Zoom Meeting

Location: Zoom Meeting

To help you take charge of your health, join DR. ASHLEE GODSHALK RUGGLES, a colorectal surgeon from Capital Health Surgical Group, and DR. MARK SAXENA from Capital Health – Gastroenterology Specialists. They’ll discuss the risk factors for colon cancer, options for screening, and how screening reduces the risk for colon cancer.

To help you take charge of your health, join DR. ASHLEE GODSHALK RUGGLES, a colorectal surgeon from Capital Health Surgical Group, and DR. MARK SAXENA from Capital Health – Gastroenterology Specialists. They’ll discuss the risk factors for colon cancer, options for screening, and how screening reduces the risk for colon cancer.

you can’t turn left out of the warehouse onto Clarksville Road, and our lawyer has told us that we can enforce that condition whether the county agrees with it or not (Clarksville Road is under the county’s jurisdiction).

The planning board will require the developer to do a different and a more detailed traffic study before they come for the phase two approval of the project. The three warehouses in phase one are not going to open at the same time, so as we go along we will learn and work with the developer to mitigate traffic issues.

Whether you are a truck driver, somebody who is leasing the warehouse, or the owner of the warehouse, you don’t want to spend nonproductive time fighting with the township or fighting with the police. So we will work with them to figure out ways to mitigate the traffic impacts within West Windsor. People keep talking about trucks, but there’s going to be cars too, and that’s why we allow them only a single exit on Clarksville Road as opposed to the five or six that they wanted. We are hoping that with most of the cars—if you’re not living in West Windsor, there’s no reason for you to drive through West Windsor. You can drive on Route 1 or you can drive on Quakerbridge Road to go wherever you want to go.

WWP: The other thing is that planning and zoning processes are not exact sciences, and there are a lot of market-driven forces out there. As you said, there’s a glut of warehouses right now, because everybody’s building warehouses. I cover five towns and all five towns are talking about approving warehouses. You can’t have a state that’s just ware-

house central. So is it possible that this site is not developed as currently approved, and it may need adjustments down the road?

HM: Oh, it’s very much possible. And I’ve always told people that I am open to negotiations on any aspect as long as it’s in the best interest of West Windsor.

The example I give is the Avalon Development (transit village) near the train station that was approved in 2007, and then the financial crisis happened and it’s just been 15 years. Whereas if you approve houses, they get built overnight. Literally.

Almost everybody we have approved for housing has done some activity. So it’s very, very possible that the site never gets developed fully as it’s currently envisioned by the developer, because the economic conditions change and they need a significant amount of investment on Quakerbridge Road and on Clarksville

Road and on Route one before they can open even the first warehouse. If the economic conditions change— and they definitely seem to be changing— the money is no longer free and the interest rates are going up. It’s very much possible the developer may decide to build one at a time and see how he leases that one rather than building all three.

That may slow down phase two, and then in that case, the township has an option of talking to them. If they come to me and say, “hey, this doesn’t seem to be viable,” at least then we have a stronger hand in negotiation, because now we have an agreement, and we have kept our part of the agreement, so then we can negotiate better.

WWP: The truth is that American Cyanamid closed on that site many, many, years ago. There’s been talk about developing that site, but it hasn’t happened. The SRI-Sarnoff

property down the road is a similar site. It’s located on Route 1 and has a lot of available land. That was approved for a general development plan about 20 years ago and nothing has happened there at all.

HM: Yeah, I believe it’s approved for 3 million square feet of commercial space.

WWP: The plans even changed when the owner of that property decided to take the whole front portion and sell it to Princeton University. The instant they did that, the approval was bound to change. So that just goes to show that even though there’s an approval, there’s no guarantee it will happen.

HM: Exactly. That’s an excellent example. They could have built 3 million square feet there and nothing happened, because those decisions are driven more by economics and the economics definitely favor housing, because there’s a shortage of housing and rents keep going up and house prices keeps going up.

So people need to understand that if you approve housing, that will definitely get built sooner as opposed to a commercial project, which takes time because it depends on economic conditions and other things.

WWP: And as you know, having been school board president, building houses equals building schools down the road. And that’s expensive.

HM: Absolutely. When we moved here in 1994, they opened two schools in two consecutive years—I think Village and High School North. I remember the taxes went up almost 10% every year.

The one thing never goes down per pupil costs, and the majority of it comes from local taxpayers, because we are one of the wealthiest districts, we get very little school aid from the state.

The Bridge Point 8 project calls for seven warehouses totaling 5.5 million square feet.

SportS Vandenberg gets the job done for North girls’ basketball

By Rich Fisher

When listening to Frank Moore analyze Kylie Vandenberg’s game, it doesn’t sound too good until he finishes. And all of a sudden it sounds awesome.

“The way she takes layups and shots around the basket are unorthodox,” the High School North girls’ basketball coach said. “Nothing’s flashy. You would look at her and say ‘This girl’s not good.’ The next thing you know you have to put your best defender on her.”

So, she lulls defenders to sleep?

“That’s exactly what she does,” Moore continued. “She’s not quick, she’s not fast, but she’s very smart.”

When told of that assessment, Vandenberg had no problem with it.

“I think it’s true,” she said. “I don’t do anything fancy. But as long as he says get the job done and I get it done, that’s what matters the most, to be honest.”

In other words, it’s not how you get to where you want to be, just make sure

you get there. The senior has been making sure of that since fourth grade, when she first started working with Moore at his basketball camp and play -

ing AAU ball.

“You could always tell she loved the game and she loved the work; where a lot of people don’t love doing the little

things to make good improvements,” said Moore, now in his sixth season as WWPN head coach. “I always remember when I worked on her team with their shooting form, Kylie was the one person who you could tell went home and practiced, and worked on keeping the guide hand straight and worked on following through with her shooting hand.

“She was always very meticulous with it. She paid attention to the details. It was clear from a young age that she loves the games; wants to be good. She dedicated herself to the game.”

That became apparent this season as Vandenberg helped WW-PN to a 10-13 record entering the Central Jersey Group IV state tournament Feb. 20. It is the Northern Knights’ most victories in Vandenberg’s four years of playing.

Along with fellow senior captains Maya Anico and Emily Potenza, Vandenberg has led a fairly young team in learning a new offense this year.

See VANDENBERG, Page 12

NAMED A 2022–23

NAMED A 2022–23

BEST ASSISTED LIVING COMMUNITY BY U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT

BEST ASSISTED LIVING COMMUNITY BY U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT

We’re so proud to offer our residents the best of the best—from dining and fitness centers to social calendars—because we don’t just care for you, we care about you. As a nationally ranked Senior Living community, we’re proof that doing what you love is always worth it. So come do it here.

We’re so proud to offer our residents the best of the best—from dining and fitness centers to social calendars—because we don’t just care for you, we care about you. As a nationally ranked Senior Living community, we’re proof that doing what you love is always worth it. So come do it here.

WE LOVE OUR COMMUNITY. The experts do, too.

WE LOVE OUR COMMUNITY. The experts do, too.

Kylie Vandenberg helped North to a 10-13 record entering the Central Jersey Group IV state tournament Feb. 20, 2023.

INTRO DUCING INTRO DUCING INTRO DUCING INTRO DUCING INTRO DUCING

“We’ve had growing pains,” Moore said. “We really put an emphasis on playing fast. In recent years we wanted to play fast, we kind of got away from that. This year we’ve stuck to it, and I think it’s paid off. We feel we should have won at least four games that we lost, but when you change your style of play, sometimes that’s gonna happen.

“This is the hardest working team we’ve ever had. They come to practice every day wanting to get better, pushing each other. The seniors push everybody to run their sprints hard every single time. The seniors have made a point to make sure all our girls are included and to make everyone feel like a family as much as possible.”

Along with her leadership skills, Vandenberg has also been filling up the stat sheet. Through 23 games she led the Knights in scoring (10.6 per game), rebounding and 3-pointers (40).

Asked if she feels she is getting the most out of her ability, Kylie said “Yeah, I think I have compared to years before. I think I’ve gotten a lot more confident in my abilities so it’s made it easier for me to be a leader and do things for myself.”

It doesn’t hurt that the WW-PN has been winning more.

“For sure,” she said. “At practices it feels like everyone wants to be here more than the last few years. It feels like everybody wants to work hard and get better so it’s easier for me to go in and work hard.”

At 5-9, Vandenberg can play the perimeter or under the basket. She has that rare ability to make threes and also get putbacks on the offensive boards. While she enjoys hanging at the threepoint line, she knows that oftentimes she can thrive underneath.

“When people are in man (defense), there are often small guards on me so it’s easy to post up on them,” she said. “When I’m the tallest on the court I’d go to the high or low post. I like both; it’s fun to be physical inside. I like to think I’m versatile and can do multiple things, but I’m still trying to work on some things defensively, specifically.”

Work has been her trademark since she started playing. Moore calls her “an athlete you want to coach.” Whatever Kylie needs to learn, she does it through hard work.

“She’s been hitting her threes lately and when teams play us man, we put her down low, and she has nice post moves,” the coach said. “It kind of opens things up for our other shooters. The defense has to help down there on her.

“I would call her a three level scorer. She can score in the low post, she can

hit the three. If she’s open mid-range at the foul line and she can hit that also. She has a very soft touch on the ball.”

But she’s hardly a soft player. In fact, she never backs down. After Covid struck during her sophomore year, Kylie finally got a full season as a junior and found that she was quickly the main girl on the opposition’s scouting report. Conversely, she would guard the other team’s top scorer.

“She always embraces that challenge and she enjoys the challenge of guarding the other team’s best player or having to figure out how to get open when she’s face-guarded or being guarded by a box-and-one,” Moore said.

Vandenberg picked up her competitiveness at a young age when she would knock heads with her brothers, who were also athletic.

“They’re probably the main factors in my playing sports,” she said.

Kylie considers basketball her favorite sport but is also on WW-PN’s field hockey and lacrosse teams.

She is hardly, however, a one-dimensional person. With a 3.9 unweighted and 4.3 weighted grade point average, Vandenberg is on the National Honor Society and is also president of North’s Interact Club.

She has received interest from Division III schools to play basketball but has not followed through on them, saying that “I don’t want to choose any place for basketball (as the first priority.”

“I’m not definitely sure what I want to major in,” she continued. “But something in sport science, health science. Possibly physical therapy or psychology, nutrition, anything along the health field. Once I pick a school, I may consider walking on, maybe to a freshman team or whatever.”

One thing is certain. When she graduates, Moore is going to miss the spirited player after eight years of coaching her.

“It’s been fun for me to watch her grow up and it’s bittersweet, especially this time of her senior year, for me knowing she’ll be leaving,” he said. “I trust her more than any other athlete I’ve ever coached. She’s just that responsible, she’s that kind of a leader.

“I feel she’s an extension of myself on the court. She sees everything going on, she’s always on top of the girls and where they should be, what they should be doing. She’s always consistent. We know she’s gonna show up and play hard every night and give it her all.”

And who cares if she doesn’t do it in a flashy way. The bottom line is she gets it done.

Recognized

travel talk with Caryn and Aron top travel trends 2023

Eva Petruzziello, CRS, ALHS, SRES

A name you can TRUST

 A Proven Track Record of More than 30 Years 

 A Proven Track Record of More than 30 Years 

 Solid Reputation of Service and Dedication 

 Solid Reputation of Service and Dedication 

 A Professional Who Cares and Listens

 A Professional Who Cares and Listens 

 Home Stager 

Results you can count on!

253 Nassau Street • Princeton, NJ 609-924-1600 • (Dir) 609-683-8549

253 Nassau Street • Princeton, NJ 609-924-1600 • (Dir) 609-683-8549

Just like fashion and diets, travel also follows trends and 2023 is shaping up to be as stylish and full of flair as ever. Find out what’s on the radar for the travel savvy! Don’t miss the boat on these experiences that will surely leave you richer in understanding.

1. Philantourism: Travel with a purpose. Instead of visiting the typical well-known tourist attractions, pick a place and country a little off-the-beaten path that could use a positive impact. Shopping and eating locally helps stimulate the economy and adds dollars to develop the locale. We can set up travel itineraries that will satisfy your wanderlust while bringing a different dimension to your travel.

2. Nature-Based Tourism: The Great Outdoors is Calling. Embrace nature and visit locations that are all about the beauty of the natural landscape. Hike through one of the many U.S. National Parks, venture through the rainforest in Costa Rica or explore an elephant sanctuary in Bali.

3. Contactless Technology: Travel Intuitively. This is a natural evolution as cruise lines try to improve onboard experiences. Several cruise lines have improved technology such as Princess Cruises with its Medallion Class, so you get whatever you want delivered right to you. And Virgin Voyages offers a virtual queue on its app – so you don’t have to leave your poolside hotspot to wait in line for dinner. The next time you cruise, you might find the wave of your key unlocks a world of possibilities.

4. Customized Vacations: Explore Your Way. Custom does not always equal expensive. For most vacation planning we don’t charge for our services and are more than happy to help you pick locations, destinations, hotels and excursions based on your preferences. Our compensation comes from the suppliers we book through

for your memory making vacation. With everything from river cruising to ocean cruising, all-inclusive resorts and escorted tours, we can help you find the vacation you’ve been longing for.

5. Sustainable Tourism: Traveling responsibly. Sustainable tourism focuses on protecting biodiversity and respecting cultures of host communities. Some ways you can travel sustainably including finding eco-friendly hotels, choosing tours that preserve local wildlife and cultures and selecting reef-safe products for your skin.

We would love to have you join us on one of our travel experiences in 2023. We are looking forward to sailing in late September on the adults only Virgin Voyages out of Barcelona with an overnight in Ibiza and then right after Thanksgiving I will be taking a small group on a Christmas Markets

River cruise in Europe with a chance to arrive early and explore Prague. Right now through March there are great promotions for these trips.

There is still time to book your Spring Break travel and now is the time to start planning your summer and holiday getaway. And don’t forget to purchase travel insurance.

Contact us at cberla@cruiseplanners. com or 609.750.0807 when you are ready to set up time to discuss your next memory making vacation.

At Cruise Planners we specialize in all types of travel (not just cruises). Whether you are looking for a Cruise, an All-Inclusive Resort Vacation, or a European Land Tour, we will provide you with the exceptional service you should expect from a travel professional. Visit us at www.makingvacationmemories. net and follow us at www.facebook.com/ familycruising. Unlike big online travel sites, Cruise Planners - ABC Family Cruising and Travel delivers the personal touch.

(Eve) 609-799-5556

(Cell) 609-865-3696

(Eve) 609-799-5556 (Cell) 609-865-3696

EvaPGetsResults@gmail.com • www.GreatHomesbyEva.com

EvaPGetsResults@gmail.com • www.GreatHomesbyEva.com

4 Eiker Rd., Cranbury: Charming 3 bedroom ranch in a quiet setting of Plainsboro and near shopping, schools and easy access to main transportation. Freshly painted and refinished hardwood floors throughout. Updated kitchen with blonde wood cabinetry, stainless steel appliances, large pantry, fireslate countertops, and ceramic tile flooring. Updated bathrooms, large basement, 2 attached garages, custom deck and inground pool. This home is situated on a 3/4+ ac. lot with mature landscaping. Move-in ready! Offered at $599,900.

14 Caraway Ct., South Brunswick, NJ: Premium location in desirable Princeton Walk. 2-story foyer, updated kitchen, appliances, counters, cabinetry, & ooring. Living room & dining room feature hdwd oors & a gas FP. 2 bedrooms on 2nd r. 2 updated bedrooms & a new powder room on the 1st level. Finished basement & storage room. Club house, indoor/outdoor pool, tennis courts & much more. Near Major highways, shopping & restaurants. O ered at $360,000

My Priorities Are Simple. They're Yours!

They're

West Windsor’s trolley line

PAUL LIGETI WEST WINDSOR CHRONICLES

The Historical Society of West Windsor—a 100% volunteer nonprofit that preserves and promotes local history— explores the history of the Trolley Line Trail—which, true to its name, was once an early-mid 1900s interstate trolley line!

Origins

You may very well recognize the Trolley Line Trail—the pedestrian walkway extending from Rabbit Hill Road, running through Community Park, passing through several suburban developments, and ultimately terminating at Village Road West. Or, if not, you might instead recognize the PSEG power lines spanning this very same route, and also stretching northeastward and southwestward into other towns.

But did you also know that the name “Trolley Line Trail” is no accident, and in fact memorializes an actual, early-1900s rail route that traversed this very path?

Let’s take a trip back in time, to the very early 1900s. Back then, West Windsor was

an agricultural community of about 1,300 residents, with farmland stretching as far as the eye could see.

At the turn of the 20th century, the era of high speed electric railway was underway. A high speed line between Trenton and New Brunswick was planned by the Trenton and New Brunswick Railroad Company, which bought up land to form a right-of-way from Greenwood Avenue in Trenton to Milltown, just south of New Brunswick.

The Trenton and New Brunswick Railroad formally established regular “Fast Line” service on November 3, 1902. Cars

departed once every two hours at first, although high demand necessitated that the frequency eventually increase to once every hour and, later, once every half hour. The trip between Trenton and New Brunswick took about an hour and fi fteen minutes at first, but was reduced over time.

The round trip fare between the two cities in 1902 was 80 cents; this lowered to 60 cents by 1906. One newspaper described the steam-heated electric trolley cars as being “45 feet long, with 50 electric lights and as handsomely upholstered as any coaches now in the trolley service.”

Expansion

Trans-state trolley service improved as further connections—part of a much larger and expanding statewide trolley network - were constructed, ultimately allowing passengers to travel between the Philadelphia and New York metropolitan areas (with transfers). For a reader today, this might not seem like much, but back then—especially before most families owned cars - this was significant. College students could travel to their classes more quickly. Relatives and friends could more easily visit one another. Freight could be

The Spring Housing Market Could be a SWEET SPOT for SELLERS

Active Monthly Listing, Last 6 Januarys

While the number of homes for sale is increasing, we ' re still well below where we were prior to the pandemic

Today's low inventory means we ' re still in a SELLER'S MARKET

SPRING could be your shot to take advantage of this SWEET SPOT

A map of the Trenton-New Brunswick “Fast Line” from 1904.

transported to steamboats on the Delaware River. Trips to Coney Island (round trip tickets in 1903: $1.25 for adults and $0.75 for children) and the Jersey Shore were often promoted in newspaper ads.

In West Windsor, there ultimately appeared four “Fast Line” stations: one at Cranbury Road (the “Grovers Mill” stop), one at Princeton-Hightstown Road (“Pig Town” stop—to be explained later), one at Penn-Lyle Road (the “Dutch Neck” stop), and one at Conover Road.

The Historical Society of West Windsor knows of no photos of these stations, but they were possibly just simple wooden platforms, perhaps with a rudimentary shelter to protect passengers from the elements. Dutch Neck, in particular, was described in 1903 as having a “waiting room.” Meanwhile, a ticket station existed at the Grovers Mill stop (315 Cranbury Road), alongside a “power station” that helped charge the line. One of the line’s superintendents, Howard Fravel, lived in the house there.

As with any high-speed transportation, accidents did happen along the trolley line: reports of livestock, farmers on horseback and carriages being struck by high-speed trolley cars can be found in old newspapers. Some trolleys even collided with each other. Notable to us was a high-speed collision near Plainsboro on May 7, 1906, in which

about eighteen people were injured. Even closer to home, the Trenton Evening Times reported a car striking Eliza Brown and Ellen Coulter (both from West Windsor) near the West Windsor community of Grovers Mill on February 12, 1910.

That evening, they and Eliza’s husband, James Coulter (employed by the trolley line) were riding home in a carriage, when the lights of the approaching trolley car spooked their horse and mule, who, in fright, took

off running, causing the collision. Luckily, neither of these crashes produced fatalities.

In 1910, the Elizabeth and Trenton Railroad formed to take over the old Trenton and New Brunswick Railroad, as well as the “Short Line” extension between Milltown and Elizabeth. Three years later, the Public Service Corporation (PSC), an energy and transportation company, acquired the line. This conglomerate eventually became the Public Service Electric and Gas Company (PSEG).

Legacy

A July, 1906 advertisement in the Trenton Evening Times rhetorically asked, “Who wants an automobile?” when convenient trolley service was available instead. While possibly an effective argument back then, within the next few decades, car and bus traffic increasingly dominated in United States transportation.

In 1921, the Grovers Mill power station closed. Service was eventually reduced to three trips daily. In 1931, gasoline-electric trolley cars replaced previously all-electric trolley cars. Finally, in 1937, service on the Fast Line fully ceased. The track was dismantled, leaving just the high PSE&G towers to mark the old trolley route.

It took another 70 years for another transportation route to run through this easement. In the summer of 2007, a

pedestrian/cyclist walkway was paved underneath the PSEG power lines. Following a naming contest, the title “Trolley Line Trail” was chosen for this path as an homage to its history. That same year, the old metal rail bridge over the Bear Brook (just north of Community Park) was rebuilt using its original abutments. This structure is called the “Pig Town Bridge.” Why? Well, according to legend, many generations ago, a conductor on an early Fast Line trolley observed the number of pigs near the Princeton-Hightstown Road station, and gave the location the nickname “Pig Town”—disliked by many, but amusing to others.

The Trolley Line Trail formally opened in August of 2007. Sixteen years later— and 121 years after the original trolley line began service—it remains a popular (and since-expanded) community amenity and memorial to both local and statewide history.

We invite you to contact, support, or volunteer for the Historical Society and check out our new West Windsor history book. Visit westwindsorhistory.com to learn more. We are also on social media—search “@SchenckFarmstead” on Facebook and Instagram.

Paul Ligeti is vice president of the Historical Society of West Windsor

Trenton-bound trolley car approaching Penn-Lyle Road. Note the PSEG towers.