Over the past five-plus years as the
Municipal Manager, the one thing that has become crystal clear to me is that significant
capital improvement projects progress at a snail's pace, and rightfully so from
the perspective of private citizens. The
pace is slow for various reasons, but most assuredly because the use of public
funds requires compliance with local, state, and federal laws at every stage. Though at times frustrating to navigate
through, these laws are a good thing enacted with the best intentions. This may not be readily apparent to some or most
of you, but I offer it up to all of you to factor in when trying to wrap your
head around why things take so long to complete! Trust me when I tell you that work is happening
even if it is not visible from your vantage point.
I thought I would take the time to
inform you of the status of some of the projects that we continue to work on
behind the scenes:
The
Pit Stop
The "Pit Stop" is more formally known as 1175 Lawrence Road. Historically, it was the site of several gasoline
service stations, the last being the "Pit Stop." To get you up to speed, I encourage you to check
out my April 10, 2019, and July 12, 2021 articles in this blog. Since then, we have completed the demolition
of the long-standing and dilapidated building and are now working through the site's
Remedial Investigation to determine the extent of environmental contamination. We hope to meet with NJDEP in the coming
months to discuss the project and our next steps in applying for additional
funding to finalize the site clean-up.
The goal is for the site to be certified by the NJDEP to be "clean."
We will then take ownership of the property and repurpose it as a passive
community park with a gazebo and other aesthetically pleasing elements which
are more appropriate for this prominently situated site within our town, turning
it from a source of embarrassment to one of pride.
Hero
Dog Park
Hero Dog Park will be constructed at
the long underused Hamnett Park located on Ohio Avenue. Please refer to my June 1, 2021, and June 17,
2021 blog articles for more background information. We have the park advancing through the design
plan phase (as we continue to hunt for grant funding). In addition to two fenced-in areas (one for
small and one for large dogs), the plans include a multipurpose walking path
around the perimeter, pedestrian-scale lighting, shade structures, landscaping,
and other related amenities. We anticipate bidding on the project for
construction in the fall of this year.
Brunswick
Streetscape
Yeah, this one is taking long! But I am happy to report that we received
$700,000 in funding to install streetscape improvements along Business Route 1
from the Brunswick Circle to Lake Drive. The project is in the final
design stage and will include improved sidewalks, high visibility crosswalks,
pedestrian-activated beacons, center median street trees, lighting, and other
amenities. Please refer to my February 20, 2022, blog article for more
details. We anticipate bidding on the
project for construction in the fall of this year.
Craven Lane Improvements
The Township received an $80,000
grant for pedestrian safety improvements along Craven Lane between
Lawrenceville Elementary School and US Route 206. The project will
include sidewalk and intersection improvements, high visibility crosswalks, and
a pedestrian-activated beacon at the Johnson Trolley Line crossing. This
project is in the design phase, and we plan to bid the project for construction
in early 2023. We are also in the running
for additional grant funding that may be a gamechanger on this project!
Colonial
Lake Park Improvements
The Township received a $75,000
grant to install a multipurpose path through the recently acquired Sheft
Property to complete the trail network around Colonial Lake. This project
is in the design and permitting phase, and we plan to bid the project for
construction in early 2023. We also
intend to improve the recently acquired portion of the park (adjacent to the
bowling lane) as a passive park with enhanced parking.
Electric Vehicle
Fleet and Infrastructure
The Township received an $8,000
grant to install a second fleet charging station at the Municipal
Complex. We are continuing to expand our fleet of electric cars to pursue
our sustainable goals and reduce our GHG emissions. We anticipate
installation in the fall of this year.
Cold Soil
Road Improvement
The Township is planning
improvements to Cold Soil Road this summer that will include a sidewalk
connection along the east side of the roadway from US Route 206 to Bergen
Street. Back in 2020, the residents in this area petitioned the Township
to evaluate the potential for a sidewalk connection. In 2021 the Township
applied for and received a $550,000 grant from NJDOT to improve the roadway and
install the sidewalk connections.
LA Fitness
The project is still on hold;
however, there is a potential that it could get started this summer. We
are hoping to get an update from the ownership later this month. As I have said publicly before, I think the
addition of LA Fitness at the Lawrence Shopping Center is a critical piece to
continue the resurgence of the center and the surrounding commercial sites
along US Route 1. So far, we can all agree
that LSC is making a solid comeback with further improvements pledged by the
owners. Keep supporting our local
businesses!
40
Enterprise Avenue Site
The Township identified this
property as an area in need of redevelopment. After completing a
preliminary investigation, it was determined that the site contained vacant,
sub-standard, dilapidated structures that were unsafe and detrimental to the
community's health, safety, and welfare. A redevelopment plan was
developed and adopted by the Planning Board and Governing Body. In June
of this year, we anticipate an application being heard before the Planning
Board to create a 261,000 square foot warehouse with aesthetically pleasing
elements that will significantly improve this long-languishing area just within
the boundary of the Township next to the City of Trenton. And
before you say we don't need more warehouses in our town, I remind you that it
doesn't work that way. We don't get to
tell private property owners what to do on their land. Please refer to my December 1, 2020, blog
article that explains the development process.
I also suggest that as long as we all love the convenience of ordering
items online and having them delivered to our homes, we will need more
warehouses.
