West Windsor Township Council November 1999

1999 VOTERS GUIDE

NON-PARTISAN ELECTION INFORMATION

Vote Tuesday, November 2, 1999

CANDIDATES FOR WEST WINDSOR TOWNSHIP COUNCIL

The League of Women Voters of the Princeton Area is a nonpartisan, non-profit volunteer organization which works to promote active, informed participation of all citizens in their government. The League provides nonpartisan information on public issues, and takes action on issues after member study and consensus. In publishing this material, the League neither endorses nor rejects the views of any candidate quoted.

All candidate information in this guide was compiled from candidates' responses to questionnaires. Replies are printed in the candidates' own words, without editing or verification. Due to space limitation, the candidates were given a word limit for replies. Words in excess of the limit are deleted and indicated by a bullet (O). Incumbents are indicated by an asterisk (*).

Reprinting of this guide in part or in whole is not permissible without written permission of the League of Women Voters of the Princeton Area.

The League of Women Voters of the Princeton Area submitted the following three questions to all candidates for West Windsor Township Council:

1. What strategies should West Windsor employ to control growth? Do you support capacity-based planning techniques as one of the strategies in controlling growth?

2. What effect will the Hightstown, Hillsborough, and Millstone Bypasses and NJ92 have on West Windsor?

3. What priorities do you have for capital improvements, and how would you fund them?

CANDIDATES FOR WEST WINDSOR TOWNSHIP COUNCIL

JACQUELINE ALBERTS*

Age: 38

Address: 24 Westminster Dr., Princeton Junction, NJ 08550

Education: Cornell Law School, J.D. 1984; Vassar College Geology Graduate, A.B., Honors, 1981

Occupation: Attorney

Community Activities: Member, West Windsor Council; West Windsor Planning Board (Chair 1997-8; Vice Chair 1993-5); Awarded three consecutive Achievement in Planning Awards from the New Jersey Planning Officials; Chair, Ordinance Review Subcommittee; Co-Author, West Windsor Administrative Code; Member, Affordable Housing Committee; Founding Member, West Windsor Community Dispute Resolution Panel; Co-Founder, People Against Uncontrolled Suburban Expansion; Former Counsel, Citizens for Orderly Growth; Member, Friends of West Windsor Open Space (FOWWOS); Awards for community service from three different mayors; Co-leader, Brownie Troop 1184; Legislative and School Programs Committees, Dutch Neck PTA; Fundraiser, Cherry Tree Club; youth recreational programs

Answers:

1. We must use every available tool to limit growth. We should stop sprawl by purchasing open space before it is developed. Recent flooding shows the importance of not paving over fields. As coauthor of the Timed Growth Ordinance, I strongly support capacity-based planning that links growth to roads, schools and other infrastructure. We must use zoning to reduce density, protect water quality and preserve greenbelts. I voted against the Toll application and support ongoing appeals because our community cannot absorb another 1,165 units. To prevent another Toll-type lawsuit, I coauthored zoning which uses commercial ratables to subsidize affordable housing. Finally, we need school impact fees to maintain quality while limiting taxes.

2. West Windsor bears more than its fair share or regional traffic. I support the Princeton Junction Master Plan to limit Route 571 to three lanes and NJ92 because the Hightstown Bypass will further clog our roads. Since DOT plans to remove the Washington/Route 1 light, we need the Millstone Bypass to protect our Penn's Neck residents and provide access to Princeton Hospital. I successfully fought for 35 M.P.H. speed limits and median strips along Edinburg and New Village Roads and favor banning large trucks on all Township roads.

1) Open space and recreational fields financed with County and State grants, Green Acres low interest loans and farmland preservation funds. I voted to leverage our open space taxes with nonprofit funds.

2) Replace the Alexander bridge and improve the Village/North Post and Lanwin Blvd./571 intersections. I coauthored our award-winning Capital Improvement Plan, which uses developer impact fees for roads along with Township, County, and State funds.

3) A new firehouse, financed with callable bonds, so that future windfalls may retire debt.

4) Sewers for Grover's Mill Estates financed by user fees. Water lines where needed.

LARRY HOLLANDER

Age: 59

Address: 4 Thorngate Court, Princeton NJ 08540

Education: BSBA Roosevelt University (Chicago Illinois)

Occupation: Consultant (semi retired)

Community Activities: 15 years of a Broad Based Service to the community: Member, West Windsor Planning Board; Member, West Windsor Site Plan Review Advisory Board; Member, Planning Board Ordinance Review Advisory Committee; Founding Member, Princeton Corridor Rotary; Member & Treasurer, Twin "W" First Aid Squad; Member, Friends of West Windsor Open Space; Member, Chamber of Commerce of the Princeton Area; Former Member, W.W. Lions Club; Former Member, W.W. Bicentennial Committee; Former Member of the Board: Congregation Beth Chaim; Former Officer & Board Member, Jewish Federation Mercer and Bucks Counties; Past President and Former Board Member, Jewish Community Centers of the Delaware Valley; Corporate Success in basement start-up to #131 in Inc. 500 fastest growing closely held companies, CEO, Entrepreneurial Management Group, Inc.; Founder, Expoconsul International, Inc.

Answers:

1. We should adopt strategies that will preserve existing open space including Open Space Purchases, Farmland Preservation and Environmental Easements. We should channel any further growth to encourage the lifecycle housing that will allow our empty nesters and our adult children an opportunity to remain in this community. This type of "traditional" extended family community makes economic sense too since it creates positive tax cash flow...in effect lowering our school taxes.

Zoning needs to be appropriately targeted and should not have unexpected adverse impacts on residents.

Most importantly, We should FINALLY adopt an ordinance that that implements the Master plan, a plan that already includes much of the above strategies.

We also must lobby Trenton to:

1) Pass enabling legislation that allows the implementation of timed growth,

2) Expand the scope and size of impact fees

3) Allow property tax breaks for senior citizens (a home for a senior generates positive tax cash flow even after a tax break and has no children in our schools)

I support capacity-based planning techniques as a strategy in controlling growth.

2. The Millstone bypass is essential to West Windsor not only for health and safety reasons but for continued good traffic flow on our two main traffic arteries (Routes 1 and 571). The Hightstown and Hillsborough bypasses likewise are essential to there respective communities. These three bypasses should not create additional traffic: They will move traffic out of residential and or business areas and provide safer, less congested traffic flows.

NJ92 will facilitate east-west traffic flow in the region and reduce traffic flow on 571.

1) Firehouse

2) Alexander Road Bridge

3) Community Park improvements

4) More active recreation (i.e., playing fields)

5) Funding would be through state and federal grants as well as General Obligation Bonds.