Council explores road construction
June deadline
for developer’s agreement looms
BY CHARLES W. KIM
Staff Writer

The South Brunswick Township Council has only about a month to decide if it will extend Northumberland Way to Major Road.

"We have to acquire the property by June 15," Township Attorney Don Sears said during the council meeting Tuesday.

According to officials, the road is supposed to connect Route 522 with the former Metroplex site on Route 1.

Planning Director Craig Marshall said in July that the 450-acre site currently is approved for some 6 million square feet of office space.

Marshall said at the time that, under the current developer’s agreement, the township would only have to acquire the land in order to extend the road.

Sears said Tuesday night that the developer would actually build the road.

Currently, Northumberland Way is only a road fragment inside the site, ending at Route 1. Developers Sam and David Halpern bought the parcel several years ago after the Metroplex developer lost the land to foreclosure.

The Halperns worked with the council in 2000 to try to develop a senior housing complex on the site, but that move was later turned away by the council and Planning Board.

Officials said the road was taken off the master plan but placed back on it after emergency workers complained that they needed access to that side of town. Four properties would be affected by the new road.

According to officials, resident Frank Totten’s home would have to be taken for the township to get the land needed to connect to Major Road.

"This man has been living with this for two decades, we should deal with that," Deputy Mayor Carol Barrett said.

According to officials, the township would have to get the property along a 1,600-foot right of way to make the connection to Major Road.

Mayor Frank Gambatese said the council should not be in a rush to connect Major Road with Route 1, and that whoever ends up develop­ing the former Metroplex site will end up building the road.

Councilman Ted Van Hessen said this is the time to make a decision on the road, and that the council should strike while the developer has to pay for it.

According to Van Hessen, open­ing the road will ease the traffic burden at the intersection of Major Road and Route 1.

Van Hessen said the intersection failed state waiting standards hor­ribly.

"It is rated ‘F.’ If there was a [letter denoting a poorer rating] in the alphabet on the scale, that in­tersection would get it," Van Hessen said.

The council will also study to see if the 450 acres could be set aside as a state redevelopment zone.

"This is the direction I hear the council taking," Township Manager Matt Watkins said.

Watkins said he will research to see if the state’s redevelopment plan could apply to the site.

"Then we can control what goes there," he said.