Discussions continue about possible Dayton town center
BY CHRIS MURINO Staff Writer

SOUTH BRUNSWICK - Plans have begun to take place to improve the township of Dayton, five months after a community design workshop was held by the Dayton Village Citizens Coalition.

Joan Luckhardt, of the coalition, talked about the progress that has been made.

"The developers have been busy trying to identify ways they can work to improve Dayton (with some success, albeit not yet at a stage to move forward on all of the plans)," Luckhardt said.

Luckhardt wanted to bring the discussions to the town council, as well.

"The Town Council didn't want our discussion of plans to become a political football in the middle of a campaign year, so they asked us to reserve public presentations until after elections," Luckhardt said. "However, they are looking at grant funds and ways to put in sidewalks, façade improvements and lighting improvements right now. They hope to work with businesses to implement these plans."

During the community design workshop at Fresh Ponds Village, a group of high school students pondered ways to improve the village of Dayton, and they will present their ideas to the Town Council.

Mayor Frank Gambatese said there is some merit to making the main center point of Dayton, the Five Points area on Culver Road, into a little town area. He also said he is interested in what the kids are doing.

"It shows the real quality of work of the students," Gambatese said. "We're also interested in what the charette [design period] is saying we should do."

The mayor also said the town is trying to acquire funding for a potential project.

"We're looking at funds from the county," Gambatese said. "They have a fund for town center improvements."

He said the town has not yet talked with any of the businesses along Culver Road about potential changes, but said that in the future, a meeting with all of the business owners may have to be held.

"We have to at least see if they have [a willingness] to have this project done on their property," he said. "I also need to know exactly what the council feels."

Gambatese is not sure if the council wants to make simple improvements to the town center area or if they would want to make fuller-scale façade improvements to the buildings.

The community design workshop took place from Jan. 28 through Jan. 31 at Fresh Ponds Village. Russ Richardson, who owns Fresh Ponds Village, also took part in organizing the event, but he was not reached in time for comment.