Committee limits how West property can be used

[Cranbury Press]

Committee limits how West property can be used

Thursday, September 11, 2008 2:48 PM EDT
By Maria Prato-Gaines, Staff Writer

CRANBURY — The Township Committee passed an ordinance Monday that limits the nonpreserved portion of the West property to passive and active recreation and conservation uses.

The change limits the land’s use to recreation such as trails, athletic fields or undeveloped open space, and would prohibit the construction of buildings such as possible additions of the Cranbury School.

Despite former community leaders cautions, the three attending committee members, Thomas Panconi, Richard Stannard and Mayor David Stout, voted to preserve the last 24 acres of the approximately 58 acres of the property. Committeeman Wayne Wittman and Pari Stave were not in attendance.

The township purchased the West property, which lies south of Cranbury School, for $1 million in 1994.

In the weeks leading up to the meeting, school board members met with committee members to discuss issues they had with the possible preservation, which they said would limit the school’s options for future expansion.

School board members said Monday that they had hoped the committee would “carve out” a piece of the property in which the school could expand.

”If we ever have to do a school expansion then we take as little area up as possible,” Mayor Stout said. “The concern by the Board of Education is legitimate and gives us pause. But the school owns land west of its building and north of the municipal parking lot. It can (expand) on the land that it owns.”

School officials said that now, any school expansion would have to take place where the soccer field is located, on the west side of the school’s property.

Board members asked committee members to legally formalize an agreement the two bodies had made during an earlier meeting that would allow the school to shift its current soccer fields onto the West property in case of an expansion.

”We wanted to have those in writing so memories don’t have to be relied upon in the future,” said Joan Weidner, school board member, at the meeting.

Both parties’ lawyers are expected to meet in the next few weeks to work out the details of the agreement, said Christine Smeltzer, township administrator.

”Under the circumstances we’re operating under, we’re satisfied,” said Chief School Administrator John Haney. “But we don’t know how big the expansion would be or how far the expansion would have to go back.”

Mayor Stout suggested that the board look at constructing multiple level buildings if a major and large expansion is needed.

Prior to the vote former school board member and Cranbury resident Robert Dreyling said the committee was undermining the intent of former community leaders who had purchased the land more than a decade ago for the purpose of a school expansion.

”The school board considered the purchase but the school board didn’t have the power to go through eminent domain,” Mr. Dreyling said. “We approached the Township Committee and asked them to pursue it for us. One of the fears was that if the school board did not purchase it at the time they would lose control over it.”

Former Committeeman Art Hasselbach said the committee members were being too hasty in their decision to preserve the area.

”I think there should be more input and thought put into this motion,” he said. “We’re pigeon-holing ourselves. We’re not going to have anyplace to put the addition. It’s going to be very expensive if we have to purchase additional land.”

Although committee members heard the public’s comments, Mayor Stout told members of the community that preserving this area in the center of town was one of the most important legacies that they could leave for future generations.