On Aug. 22, it was standing room only at the West Windsor Zoning Board of Adjustment’s second meeting on the use variance application submitted by WWM Properties West.
The proposed land is located in the Heatherfield neighborhood bounded by McGetrick Lane and Westbrook Boulevard, across Route 571 from the Southfield Shopping Center. Some 420 all affordable garden apartments are proposed to be built on this 21.50-acre parcel of land.
Twenty families in the 96-family Heatherfield neighborhood spoke against the proposal. Five residents shared their traffic accident experiences that occurred near the busy Route 571 and Southfield Road intersection, expressing concerns for the prospect of even more traffic accidents with the influx of 420 new families.
Three residents expressed similar safety concerns for pedestrians crossing the street, residents in wheelchairs, and senior and children pedestrians. Five residents moved to this neighborhood for its green and rural scenery and do not want the neighborhood characteristics to alter.
Two residents worried that the morning long commute to the train station will be even longer with an influx of 800 cars. Two residents said that they wanted the convenience of local businesses, which they would have if the land was developed according to its original P1 zoning. Two residents described the crowdedness of our schools.
Our consultant engineer reported that the Southfield (sewer) pump station serving the neighborhood cannot meet the demand of the proposed development—it has a 10,000-gallon capacity, which is only 10 percent of the required 104,000-gallon capacity.
Join us again at the Oct. 3 Zoning Board meeting at 7 p.m. in the municipal complex building for additional resident comments and detailed reports on traffic studies, environmental impacts and sewer capacities associated with the proposed development.
Yan Mei Wang
Wang is a candidate running for a seat on West Windsor Council.
