Dayton – Hank Kalet

The folks with the Dayton Village Coalition have been trying to get South Brunswick’s local government to focus on efforts to create a more pedestrian-friendly village area — a goal that is certainly worth pursuing.

As I’ve written a number of times in the past — both in columns and in editorials — the area surrounding Five Corners (shown in the video above, which was shot at about 11 today) could serve as a perfect “downtown” for South Brunswick. The office/local retail mix already is in place and, with a little work, the area could be transformed.

First, sidewalks need to be extended — not only on Georges Road, but on Ridge Road, as well. And public parking needs to be added (this could be accomplished by gaining an agreement from the individual strip malls allowing people to park and walk).

Most important, though, is taking a broad enough view of the area so that its boundaries include the library, the two middle schools, Pierre’s, Indian Fields, Wetherill and the Stop & Shop on Route 522.

The work done so far by the Coalition has been positive, bringing as many of the stakeholders to the table as could be arranged. That has to be the first step. The next step is to bring the Township Council and Planning Board along, to make them understand that modest changes in thinking will allow the Dayton village to be everything it should be.

(Jump in on this one, either by commenting here, at The Blog of South Brunswick or on our South Brunswick Post Forum.)

The Richardson Properties Corporation is still pushing its misguided plan to cram 240 apartments, retail space and a clubhouse ontoa 25-acre parcel in Dayton.

The alternative, says Russ Richardson, is a 350,000-square-foot, four-story office building, with 1,200 parking spaces. That, he says, is what the property is zoned for.

The council wasn’t so enamored with the plan — nor should it have been.

My sense is that Mr. Richardson is overstating what can be done with the property — once you factor in buffers and other issues, the office building is likely to be smaller than he says. Plus there are questions about the market for that kind of facility.

He says the best use is a village. He’s probably right — if by best use he means best use for him.

South Brunswick Post, The Cranbury Press
The Blog of South Brunswick

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Broken Cord: An Anthology of Writing on Alzheimer’s and Dementia

We are looking to raise seed money for an anthology of writing on Alzheimer’s and dementia. The anthology will be the first project from a new small press. All proceeds will go to research and care groups. Contributors who donate $20 or more will get copies of the anthology and a mention on the acknowledgements page. Writers, we are looking for poems, fiction, and essays on dementia and Alzheimer’s. They can be from any perspective — care-givers, family, the person with dementia.

Contribute here.

Tag: Dayton

The future of Dayton is in residents’ hands

Village of the crammed